BREAKING NEWS, Health
–
The Economic Community of West African States marks its 39th anniversary with the members of the military from Ghana and Togo doing environmental sanitation at the border town of Aflao as part of the war against malaria in the region
| By Maureen Chigbo | Jun. 16, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
MEMBERS of the Armed Forces in Ghana and Togo, took their support for the war against malaria in the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, a step higher by doing environmental sanitation exercise at the border town of Aflao on ECOWAS Day on May 28. Their action happened as the regional body officially launched the preparatory phase of the application of the anti-mosquito biolarvicide product to intensify the regional war against malaria. The military personnel undertook the environmental cleaning exercise as part of the ECOWAS 39th anniversary activities, to underscore the need for “military-like discipline” as a critical element in achieving sustainable victory in the fight against malaria.
Kadré Desire Ouédraogo, president of the ECOWAS Commission, represented by Mariane Ngoulla, health adviser/coordinator ECOWAS Malaria Elimination Campaign, told the gathering of military personnel, managers of National Malaria Control Programmes of member states, representatives of civil society organisations as well as community and traditional leaders, among others, that they must keep their surroundings clean for the application of biolarvicide to be effective and successful. He expressed the commission’s gratitude to the Armed Forces for their willingness and commitment to facilitate the military-civilian collaboration required to win the war against mosquitoes and malaria in the region. The president also commended the military for “working in synergy with malaria programme managers and communities through a multi-sectoral approach for massive and effective biolarvicide application accompanied with sanitation and environment management.”
Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, Ghana’s deputy minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, commended Ouédraogo and his management team for their total commitment to the campaign to rid the region of the human and economic devastation of malaria. Quartey also thanked Cuba and Venezuela for their support under a tripartite agreement to build three biolarvicide factories in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria to ensure uninterrupted availability of the product for massive application across the region towards the elimination of malaria from the ECOWAS region. He equally called for concerted efforts by stakeholders “to ensure that the borderless ECOWAS envisioned by the founding fathers is not derailed.”
Gado Koura, health minister of Togo, represented by the secretary general in the ministry, reiterated the government’s commitment and support to the regional anti-malaria campaign, while Felix Kadanga, a colonel and the country’s chief of Defence Staff, represented by Sogne Batenga, also a colonel, affirmed the total support of the military to the success of the campaign. The chief of staff noted that the United States and other countries had used a similar strategy to rid their territories of mosquitoes and malaria.
In his remarks, Xavier Crespin, director general of the West African Health Organization, WAHO, expressed optimism that the application of biolarvicide, which has been found to be safe to human health and the environment, would contribute to the attainment of the organisation’s objective of providing good health to community citizens through effective cooperation between member states and development partners.
In his closing remark, Frederick Alipui, chairman of the event and member of Ghana’s Municipal Assembly, called for a borderless ECOWAS to facilitate the prosecution of the anti-malaria war and the attainment of regional integration.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were representatives of the 15 ECOWAS Member States, Focal Points of ministries of defence, representatives of Network of West African Women Farmers, ROPPA, the municipal chief executive of Ketu South, Ghana, the Paramount Chief of Aflao District and representatives of Aflao Police authority.
Tags:
