Gold Fields Ghana Foundation marked World Malaria Day with discussions, larviciding, and community clean-up efforts in Western Region municipalities.
A community push is taking centre stage as Gold Fields Ghana Foundation marks World Malaria Day with activities aimed at cutting malaria transmission.
Held under the theme “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can.. Now We Must,” the programme brought together stakeholders from the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea/Huni-Valley Municipalities in Ghana’s Western Region, where malaria transmission is described as persistently high.. Misryoum reports that the initiative is designed to deepen awareness, strengthen prevention, and encourage collective action around the disease.
Local voices at the event focused on how malaria spreads and what can be done to disrupt it, including the role of the environment in creating mosquito breeding conditions.. Organisers used a panel discussion to explore practical and sustainable prevention approaches, with emphasis on sanitation, community leadership, and behaviour change.
This kind of targeted community engagement matters because malaria control depends not only on health services but also on reducing the mosquito-friendly conditions that enable outbreaks.
Alongside the discussion, participants carried out a larviciding exercise at identified mosquito breeding sites, using environmentally safe chemicals. Misryoum reports that the activity was intended to break the mosquito life cycle and limit transmission.
In the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, officials highlighted that malaria accounts for a major share of outpatient department visits, reflecting the scale of ongoing exposure.. During a stakeholder forum supported by the Municipal Assembly and Health Directorate, attendees were equipped with knowledge and practical tools meant to strengthen community-level prevention.
Misryoum also notes that the foundation distributed weed slashers to support communal labour, including clearing bushes, desilting drains, and eliminating stagnant water that can act as breeding grounds.
The Executive Secretary of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, Abdel Razak Yakubu, said the work is meant to help communities take ownership of malaria prevention.. He explained that the foundation has earmarked GH¢320,000 for the year to support awareness campaigns, including radio education, community outreach, and logistics.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Director of Health, Madam Wilhelmina Tiwaa Duah, said malaria remains a leading cause of outpatient attendance even with existing control measures.. She indicated that reported suspected cases and confirmed positive results were recorded in 2025, and she also raised concerns about malaria among pregnant women.
She urged residents to prioritise environmental sanitation, seek early treatment at health facilities, and complete prescribed medication.. She stressed that sustained collaboration and community participation are key to improving public health outcomes, and Misryoum reports that the municipality has not recorded malaria-related deaths over the past five years.
This matters because preventing complications, especially for vulnerable groups, is often where public action, health-seeking behaviour, and effective case management come together.