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Amansie West records high malaria cases among children
The sharp increase in malaria cases among children under five years in the Amansie West District is beginning to raise concerns among health workers in the area.
According to health officials, malaria cases generally in the district has shot up with data revealing more than 38,000 cases at the Out-patient Departments (OPD) in 2025.
This marks over 2,000 increase over the 2024 figure of 36,000.
But worryingly, it is the increase among infants that is beginning to occupy the attention of the health workers in the district.
According to the data available, malaria cases among the kids have jumped from the 8,000 recorded in 2024 to 10,000 in 2025, marking a 25 per cent increase.
That was linked directly to abandoned pits left by illegal mining activities, commonly known as ‘galamsey.’
The Amansie West District Director of Health Services, Mr Bernard Badu Bediako, stated in an interview that these abandoned pits have become high-volume mosquito breeding grounds across the district.
Commemorating the occasion of the 2026 World Malaria Day, Mr Bediako called for a united front to eliminate the disease from the district.
The problem, he emphsasised, was also compounded by the situation where both children and adults don’t complete the course of their malaria treatment.
Consequently, he urged residents of the district to complete the full course of anti-malaria medication rather than abandon treatment after beginning to feel well, a practice he identified as a key driver of persistent infection.
He also strongly encouraged the consistent use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, acknowledging complaints from some residents about discomfort but stressed that “sleeping under treated nets remained far safer than the risk of severe malaria.”
Mr Badu commended the management of Asanko Gold for supporting the fight against malaria, and announced that public education had been intensified across communities, with health authorities now shifting emphasis from malaria control to outright elimination.
Marking this year’s commemoration, Asanko Gold Ghana Limited organised a free health screening exercise for residents of Manso Abore and surrounding communities, covering malaria testing, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and general medical consultations.
The company also distributed over 2,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets to Senior High School students within the catchment area.
The company’s General Manager, Justice Fenteng, in a speech read on his behalf, said Asanko Gold’s commitment extended well beyond commemorative activities, pointing to ongoing investments in healthcare infrastructure, including the construction of Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds at Tetrem and Krofrom to bring essential medical services closer to rural communities.
“These are long-term investments aimed at improving access to healthcare and strengthening our communities,” Fenteng stated.
He called on residents of Manso and its environs to regularly use mosquito nets, maintain clean surroundings, seek early testing, and take preventive measures seriously, stressing that eliminating malaria required collective action beginning from individual homes.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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