KHRC celebrates World Malaria Day – 25th April, 2010

World Malaria Day is an annual event which falls on 25th April. This year’s event was marked by the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC), Ghana Health Service. KHRC is a centre of excellence for evaluating malaria control interventions. It is one of eleven (11) sites in seven (7) African countries carrying out the third Phase of the RTS,S Malaria vaccine trial and other malaria studies.

As part of activities to mark this day, KHRC organised a clean up exercise in the Kintampo North Municipality on Saturday, 24th April, 2010. The aim of the campaign was to demonstrate the role of sustained environmental cleanliness as a malaria control measure. The campaign was done in collaboration with the Municipal Health Management Team (MHMT) of the Kintampo North Municipal Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service and ZoomLion Ghana Company Ltd, a waste management company. The event was well patronised by staff of KHRC including the director, Dr. Seth Owusu-Agyei, workers of ZoomLion Ghana Ltd, staff of the Municipal Health Directorate and the general public. The cleaning started from the Central Business area of Kintampo popularly referred to as Sawaba, through the old Tamale station to the Kintampo Senior High School junction.

The director thanked everybody for participating in the exercise and was hopeful that subsequent activities will equally be patronised by all especially staff of KHRC.

The Municipal Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer, Mr. Mahamadu Mahama was full of praise for the initiative taken by the research centre to observe the day in such a remarkable way. Cleanliness he said is next to Godliness and was hopeful that similar events will be organised in future. He assured community members that the local municipal assembly is ever ready to render its unflinching support to the centre in organising such activities.

The clean up activity was followed up by other activities on Sunday, 25th April, 2010. A radio talk show was organised by KHRC in collaboration with the Kintampo North Municipal Health Administration and the Kintampo Hospital to discus history, causes/ burden of malaria, clinical effects of malaria, malaria preventive and control measures and the malaria research projects undertaken by KHRC. Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante, a Clinical Research Fellow of KHRC and Madam Salamatu Ibrahim, the Director of the Municipal Health Directorate were the guest speakers for the talk show which is estimated to have reached over 20,000 households within the Kintampo area.

A documentary on the launch of the phase three malaria vaccine trial was telecast on the national television, Ghana Television.  

For more info contact:

Kabio Casimir Donlebo (Communications Officer).
Kintampo Health Research Centre
P.O.Box 200
Kintampo.B/A.
Tel: +233 246 391916