Knowledge of malaria transmission low, prevention and treatment options limited. 

25th January  2012, Accra, Ghana– Volunteer Partnerships for West Africa has released the results from its most recent case study, Knowledge, Treatment and Prevention of Malaria in Rural Ghana: A Case Study of Darmang.

The study was conducted from May to July 2011 in the village of Darmang Anhuntem, located in the Akuapim South Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. The objective of the study was “to assess the effectiveness of anti-vector interventions taken by the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), as well as availability of treatment and means of protection in rural communities.” A series of qualitative interviews with local people in Darmang revealed limited knowledge about malaria transmission and symptoms, lack of affordable protection options, and financially and geographically inaccessible treatment for the disease within the community.

Misconceptions about malaria transmission are still widely prevalent in Darmang.  According to the report while “[m]ost of the respondents (92%) knew that malaria is caused by mosquitoes…. more than half (52%) of the respondents gave additional sources for the disease which included working close to a heat source like fire or in the sun, eating too much oil or starch, contaminated houseflies on food, cold temperatures or airborne particles.” When asked about malaria symptoms, “More than half felt that malaria and fever is the same thing,” including one of three local chemists whom was interviewed.

When asked about first response to a suspected malaria infection “more than two thirds of the respondents reported not seeking hospital care for treatment of malaria due to lack of financial means and geographical access.” An overwhelming 73% of respondents said they would self-medicate with traditional herbs or over-the-counter drugs . Meanwhile, only 17% of respondents would go to a hospital.

However, “Despite the low numbers seeking first response treatment at a hospital, when asked the majority of the respondents (64%) believed that being diagnosed and receiving care at a hospital is the best way to treat malaria. Reasons for not seeking such care were in all cases financial reasons; the main obstacle being a lack of financial means to pay for, diagnose and receive treatment by a doctor at the hospital, as well as buying the prescription medications.”

Even the 17% of respondents who had national health insurance (NHS) said that they sometimes opted out of going to the hospital due to inconvenient location and the cost of transportation to the healthcare facility. They instead opted for easily accessed herbs and drugs at a local drugstore.

The awareness and existence of malaria protection options in Darmang is also very limited. Most respondents initially cited bush clearing, cleaning, and taking preventative drugs as primary methods in effectively preventing malaria. Using an Insecticide Treated mosquito Net (ITN) was secondary. While the “majority of the respondents (68%) owned at least one net…. [only] 22 % of the respondents who owned a net cited that every member in their family slept under one” due to financial circumstances and lack of ITN availability. Although, the respondents recognize and utilize ITNs as an effective malaria protection measure, only half of the respondents had ever heard of but never seen Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS).  Anti-vector strategies to control malaria are not readily available to them.

“[T]here is a considerable lack of knowledge regarding malaria,” the report concludes. Misconceptions about malaria transmission greatly impede anti-vector strategies and prevention of malaria in a community.

The study highlights that mosquitoes adapt and change their behavior “according to geographic location, dry or wet season and human behavior e.g. sleeping outside or use of insecticides,” and therefore, the government should fund further research on alternative anti-vector control measures for reducing malaria.

“However as long as this free health care remains inaccessible to the majority of the citizens of Ghana, especially to the poorest who need it the most, it is inherently meaningless. Lacking the ability to pay annual premiums, poor people in Ghana are indirectly being excluded from the public health care…”  Most importantly, the report highlights the plight of Ghana’s poor citizens and calls upon government to make malaria elimination a national priority through universal healthcare. It proposes “dedicated political support and financial reconsiderations” as key to eliminating malaria. The Darmang community and its limited knowledge and options in coping with the threat of malaria, speaks for a greater whole of rural Ghana.

In Ghana, one out of every ten children will die before reaching the age of five and malaria is still the number one cause of these deaths.

A jury of experts in volunteerism and development cooperation from around the World constituted by the United Nations Volunteers has today announced Volunteer Partnerships for West Africa(VPWA), a Ghanaian base non-governmental organization and its volunteer Yolanta Cwick from Canada, among nine others as 2011 winners of the prestigious annual United Nations Volunteers award. The award honours the contributions of volunteers who work to contribute to peace and development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The 2011 Jury included:

- Mr. Alejandro Díaz Garreta, Director, Volunteering and Youth Division, Fundación Telefónica, Spain

- Ms. Anne Callanan, Chief, Recruitment and Reassignment Branch, Human Resources Division, World Food Programme (WFP), Italy

- Mr. Geoff King, Director, Volunteer and Business Partnership Section, Community Partnerships and Latin America Branch, Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Australia

- Ms. Madina Athie, President, ONG Citoyennes et Citoyens Debout, Mauritania

- Ms. Tiziana Oliva, Director for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, VSO, United Kingdom

- UNV representatives from country offices and headquarters

In congratulatory message from United Nations Volunteers Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri emphasized that “Volunteers are an incredibly valuable asset and ultimately, 2011 – the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers – has been about recognizing those who light up our world through their commitment to peace, human development and sustainability.”

In a press release from UNV Headquarters in Bonn Germany, it said, ‘’the winners were chosen based on their ‘outstanding’ commitment and contributions, the results of their collaboration and their impact on the activities of the development organizations they supported’’.

Yolanta Cwick who shared her long-standing editorial experience, conceived a website and posters for the Deworm Ghana Campaign run by Volunteer Partnerships for West Africa. 3,900 children were dewormed as a result of this campaign, which was the first in a series that the organization will replicate in other West African countries.

According to the World Health Organization, worm infections are one of the most common long-term infections of children in low-income countries, and deworming is the most cost-effective method to significantly increase primary school attendance and a child’s ability to learn in school.

“Our aim is to treat as many children as possible annually with the help of volunteers, teachers and community health care providers while improving education through an integrated school health programme,” says VPWA’s Executive Director, Hayford Siaw. He praises Yolanta as an “exceptional volunteer who was always willing to share ideas and information and delivered quality output leading to the overwhelming success of the medical outreach program.”

For Yolanta it was the first time to volunteer online and this experience has taught her “that you don’t need to be an expert in issues that a local NGO is working on, but that your skills that may come from your job or education can be used to supplement a program.”

She continues ‘’ “Of all my work experience, I am most proud of my UN Online Volunteer experience and hope to work with more organizations in the future. On a personal level, the best part has been the continued collaboration and contact I’ve kept with VPWA. Volunteering for me is more than just working on a project with an end, but a way to connect with people who work hard on the frontlines of their communities. It keeps me grounded in real world issues that are given little or no news or exposure.“

UNV also launches the first State of the World’s Volunteerism Report, which captures the value of volunteerism on a global scale and deepens the understanding of the impact that volunteerism can have on our lives and on our world.

Source: NGO News Africa

VPWAian

If it were easy to do the big, meaningful things we believe will make our world better -- if it were quick -- someone would have done those things long before VPWA started.

We've chosen to do something hard.

You know that our projects so far have been hard accomplished: taking the risky steps necessary to sustain the efforts, fundraising from saturated world of non profits, and implementing diversified range of projects despite limited funds.

You also know we have not yet done everything we set out to do -- not nearly.

But that's a reason to support VPWA harder, not to let up. That's why we're building a team of Social Innovators now who can make their efforts count. And you have to take ownership of it.

2011 has been wonderful year for VPWA because of you, you the volunteers and supporters that provided your intellectual, physical and financial resources to grow this organization.

Join VPWA in 2012 and be counted as a Social Innovator.

Thank you and Happy New Year.

Hayford & Portia

Directors- VPWA (info@vpwa.org)

Picture: Hayford(left) presenting leased equipment to our second beneficiary Grace.

The VPWA Micro-leasing program is one of the Social Innovations of VPWA in 2011  to support micro entrepreneurs with the tools and machinery needed to expand their businesses.

To Improve Community Life

One good reason why volunteering is important is that it goes a long way towards creating a healthy community. Kids who agree to take part in tidying up their classrooms and surrounding areas, promote cleanliness. This in turn helps the community to find motivation to combat pollution and trash. It encourages more people to take an active part in cleaning up. In the end, everyone benefits from it.

Of course, this isn’t just limited to cleaning the environment. Those who willingly take part in tree planting, animal caring and so on also contribute to the betterment of society.

To Give Back

Another reason why volunteering is important is that it showcases someone’s gratitude. Someone who becomes successful in selling books may take part in a reading for a children’s program. An athlete can spend some time in teaching others, the basics of his / her sport. A successful entrepreneur can allocate some time to teaching others how to do business.

To Help Others in Need

During times of calamities, people need help. There are government agencies assigned to this task. However, it’s usually not enough. When ordinary people do their part to help, the task of aiding the grief stricken becomes easier.

This isn’t just true among the calamity stricken. There are people living in harsh conditions who need a helping hand. That’s why, volunteering is important. This way, you can reach out to others. There will be no financial rewards. But the joy you can bring to others will be priceless.

Things are Done More Effectively

When people get together, the job or assignment becomes easier to do. It doesn’t matter what the job on hand is. When individuals work together, most of the difficulties will be erased. Without any help, work becomes a lot harder and more time consuming.

You Get Connected to Other People

When you take part in these activities, you get closer to people. You come to know your friends even better. You will make new acquaintances also. By getting more involved with other people, your self-confidence also increases.

Giving Hope

One reason why volunteering is important is that you give others hope. A downtrodden person will be uplifted when he or she realizes that there are people out there who will help them out. It brings back their faith. It makes them aware that not everything is about money.

It Emboldens the Human Spirit

The selfless act of helping a person / cause / nature provides a spiritual boost as well. Knowing you did something good for someone or some cause is an emotionally uplifting experience that can never be matched by money or fame. It is not a glamorous job, but most who have tried it will tell you that the experience is a positive one.

These are just some of the reasons why volunteering is important. Not only does it bring hope and happiness to people, but it also leads to spiritual and emotional growth. It is an experience that cannot be bought with any amount of money.

Source: whyguides.com

For the first day of the Deworm Ghana project, seven volunteers traveled to the village of Darman. After meeting with the village chief, the group headed to Darman Presbyterian School, where the children greeted the volunteers with cheers. The day’s programming began with VPWA volunteers giving a brief educational speech to the children, explaining worms and how the children would be treated with albendazole. In addition, VPWA explained how always wearing shoes outside, avoiding non-potable water, and washing fruits and vegetables before eating can help prevent worm infections in the future. Then, VPWA volunteers administered albendazole to 372 children, ranging in age from five to sixteen years of age. 179 of the students were girls, and 193 of the students were boys.

VPWA remained on site for one hour after administering medication to ensure the children experienced no problematic side-effects from albendazole. During this time, the volunteers spoke with parents about treating and preventing worms while also playing with the school children. In summary, the first day of Deworm Ghana was a success! 10 more schools to go before July 21!

By Nicole Bolton – Deworm 2011 Volunteer - 12th July 2011

According to the World Health Organization report on malaria in Ghana, US$27million and US$38million was spent on Malaria in 2008 and 2009 respectively.  In spite of the huge amount of money invested, Ghana still recorded very worrying figures with 3,694,671 cases in 2009 compared to 3,200,147 in 2008. Admission to hospitals due to malaria also went up from 272,802 in 2008 to 277,047 in 2009. Death due to Malaria from the records of clinics and hospitals stood at 3,378 in 2009.

It must be noted that, the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) is on record in it strategic plan that 70% of the Ghanaian population rely on traditional medicines. The absence of data from traditional medicine providers therefore should raise concern on the number of malaria deaths and sickness that goes unreported.

The increase in the scourge of malaria should be accepted as a failure on leadership responsible for controlling and or eliminating Malaria in Ghana. Indeed, the National Malaria Control strategic plan is a failed policy program and should therefore be re-examined. There is too much wastage on personnel instead of actual resources going into interventions that will help reduce both cases of admission and deaths. Over 30% of money allocated for Malaria Control went into Human Resources alone.

Historically malaria has been the cause of deaths all over the world. Of course it is no longer a threat to the developed world and has been modified in the developing countries with the exception of Sub-Saharan Africa where it is endemic. The United States was one of the first Western Counties to eliminate malaria, due to an extended campaign using surplus military aircraft left over from World War 2 which was equipped with insecticide dispersal systems necessary to dispense DDT as a Dust or liquid. This operation was a success and by 1950 only 5 years after the end of the war the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta Georgia, declared the United States malaria free.

Mr. Robert Desowitz in his book THE MALARIA CAPERS writes; from colonial times until the 1940s, malaria was the American disease. One of the first military expenditures of the Continental Congress was for $300 dollars to buy quinine to protect General Washingtons troops. During the Civil War one half of the white troops and four fifths of the black soldiers of the Union Army were stricken with malaria annually.

The malaria mosquito has the reputation of being 9 feet tall in Sub-Saharan Africa, more feared than the mighty crocodile. The truth be told, it is just an insignificant noisy insect, a biological creature, just like us. If the humble mosquito has the ability to infect humans with a parasite, humans should reciprocate in kind and infect the mosquito with an organism, to give as well as we get from this bane of mankind.

To be more specific, I would like to propose at this time we use a biological agent known as a fungus spore. There is a product in commercial production in the United States, used on organic farms that also have applications for the control of adult mosquitoes. Research done on malaria mosquitoes has indicated only one spore has the ability to kill a mosquito. Although it may take up to 10 days to kill the mosquito, after 2 days the mosquito no longer feeds. This product is a soil fungus, most soil insects are immune to its effects. However an airborne insect like the mosquito has no natural immunity to this spore and according to research done at UC Davis in California, the mosquito will never develop immunity to this fungus. When exposed the mosquitoes were 80 times less likely to transmit malaria.

According to Dr. Kenneth D. Vernick, a microbiologist at the University of Minnesota stated a soil fungus that devoured insects, whose mosquito-killing powers were described by British scientists last year, could be used to hunt down the most malaria-susceptible bugs in any swarm and knock them out of the gene pool. He also said for unknown reasons, it weakens plasmodium-carrying mosquitoes more than it does others. Even after exposure to a 12 day old spray, 89% of the mosquitoes died.

This is good news as plasmodium falciparum is the most dangerous parasite of the four malaria parasites that infect man and the most prevalent by far in Ghana where it comprises up to 98% of infections.

This is all fine and dandy you might say, however, how is this fungus spore to be delivered to the recipient, the malaria mosquito? The same way the Americans did it 60 years ago, using aircraft equipped with insecticide, aerosol generators. This is the only effective method.

WHO writes in it 2010 report on Ghana, ‘’there is no evidence of a reduction in suspected malaria cases between 2000 and 2009, while inpatient cases in all ages increased’’.

Hayford Siaw, Executive Director : Volunteer Partnerships for West Africa