RIGHT TO PLAY DISTRIBUTES MOSQUITO NETS TO PREGNANT WOMEN, CHILDREN

RIGHT TO PLAY, an international humanitarian and development organization that uses sports and play as tools to effect behavior and social changes in deprived communities has supported some 250 pregnant women and children under five years in the Gukpanarigu, a deprived community in the Tolon-Kumbungu District of the Northern Region, with long treated mosquito nets.

The Gupkanarigu community between 2009 and the first quarter of 2011 recorded the highest incidence of malaria according to reports from the district health directorate. This therefore influenced the decision of the Right To Play in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service to use this year’s World Malaria Day celebration to create awareness on malaria prevention among the members of the community.

The Celebration was under the theme: “Achieving Progress and Impact in Controlling Malaria”

However, the high incidence of Malaria in the Gupkanarigu community is a source of major concern to the health personnel and other Civil Society Organisations, especially Right To Play, since children account for almost half of population of the community. Malaria is said to be number one killer disease among pregnant women and children below five years.

As part of the awareness campaign, the NGO engaged the Chief and people of the community especially the youth to learn about ways of preventing Malaria. They used several practical methods to educate the children as the play in their various groups.

In an address, the Northern Ghana Project Manager of Right To Play, Mr. Ben Kasim Wumbla said that the Right To Play which operates in 20 countries in the World, started its operations in Ghana in 2001 and currently trains volunteers popularly known as Coaches, community leaders, teachers and NGO partners to implement programmes to develop basic life skills, prevent diseases, teach conflict resolution and instill hope in children affected by deprivations, poverty, conflicts and diseases.

Operating in four regions of Ghana (Northern, Upper East, Volta and Greater Accra regions), the Right to Play according to Mr. Kasim, targeted the most marginalized individuals including girls, persons with disabilities, children affected by HIV/AIDS, street children, former child combatants and refugees.

It also seeks to promote basic education and child development, health promotion and disease prevention, conflict resolution and peace building and community development participation among others.

However, the Right to Play project manager urged the community to as a matter importance, change their attitudes and behaviour towards keeping a cleaner and a safer environment.

He was confident that the fight against malaria could be won easily if all people would respect their environment and keep it clean, drain or desilt their gutters and avoid indiscriminate dumping of waste.

Mr. Kasim maintained that malaria even though a killer disease, it is also preventable and thus appealed to the media, the Ghana Health Service, Civil Society Organisations and District Assemblies to intensify their sensitization efforts to make Ghana a malaria free country.

The Tolon-Kumbungu District Health Director, Hajia Sophia Mahama said that most diseases reported at the various health centres in the district within the last years were malaria related and therefore appealed to the communities to keep their environment clean and also patronize the treated mosquito nets.

She commended the Right to Play for complementing the efforts of the Health Service in fighting and controlling malaria.

Hajia Mahama entreated people in the district especially pregnant women to be cautious of mosquitoes and report any malaria symptoms to the nearby hospitals.