The MTN Ghana Foundation Monday joined the rest of the world to commemorate the World Malaria Day. Executives of the foundation paid visits to various hospitals in the country and donated insecticide treated bed nets to patients especially pregnant women.
The World Malaria day is celebrated to recognize efforts being made globally to fight malaria and provide education and understanding of malaria as a global scourge that is preventable. The theme for the 2016 World Malaria Day is “End Malaria for Good”.The Day also provides an opportunity for governments and other partners of the health sector to provide support in fighting malaria and also generate discourse that highlights the treatment and cure for malaria.
In the Ashanti region, MTN staff volunteers distributed Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) to pregnant women at the Tafo Government Hospital. Other hospitals that benefited from this gesture countrywide are the Tema General Hospital, Bolga Government Hospital, Dixcove Hospital and the Cape Coast Hospital.
Tied to the distribution of the nets is MTN’s internal staff fundraising project dubbed, “Buy a Treated Net to save a life” which saw the MTN Ghana Foundation adding two nets to every net a staff donates.
The Executive Secretary of the MTN Ghana Foundation Mr. Robert Kuzoe noted that for almost a decade, the MTN Ghana Foundation has been a proud contributor to Ghana’s health sector through various interventions to ensure a relatively healthier society. In the fight against malaria, the MTN Ghana Foundation has engaged in a number of activities over the years. These include, Indoor Residual Spraying, spraying of gutters and drains in various communities and the distribution of ITNs in partnership with various NGOs across the country.
The Commercial Manager for the MTN Norther Sector; Peter Bimpeh also highlighted the numerous efforts being put in place by the MTN Ghana Foundation to maximize the delivery of healthcare in Ghana. “The MTN Foundation has invested in over 50 major health projects which includes the construction and refurbishment of hospital wards, CHPS Compounds and support for special medical conditions. In December 2015, the Foundation reequipped the 2nd Floor of Korle Bu Maternity Ward with medical equipment to ensure expectant mothers receive quality healthcare. The Foundation also constructed a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the Tamale Teaching Hospital to give a new lease of life to neonates in the northern part of the country”, he recalled and states that more projects are being considered by the Foundation to ensure that the health of Ghanaians is protected.
Staff of the Tafo Hospital and some beneficiary took turns to express their gratitude to the Telecommunication giant for the gesture. Administrator of the the Hospital Dr. (Mrs) Anni Poku said the hospital was grateful for the gesture but asked for more from MTN as well as other stakeholders since malaria was seriously affecting the well being of residence of Tafo and its surrounding communities. She also called for a culture of environmental hygiene; something she believes can only be successful if the communities take full responsibility for their environment and consciously clean up all potential breeding places of mosquitoes especially choked drains.
