VRA FIGHTS MALARIA

The Volta River Authority (VRA), as part of its Safety Awareness Day Celebrations campaign across the country, has launched a corporate malaria control strategy document to ensure a malaria-free future.

The control strategy document produced by the Authorities in the Health Department and Public Health section within the VRA, would help mitigate the rising malaria death risk enfaced by staff and inhabitants of the Authority’s impacted communities.

Ms. Alexandra Totoe, VRA Deputy Chief Executive, Finance, launching the strategy documenton behalf of the Minister of Energy, explained that the VRA operates a definitive health and safety policy due to the its greatly dependent on water (breeding medium for mosquitoes) for electricity production by the Authority.

Adding that, Malaria cost the Authority GHC₵82,943.84 approximately $52,000 in 2011 from various health care services administered to staff, relatives of staff and about two million inhabitants of the Volta Lake area communities.

Ms. Totoe also explained that to achieve effectiveness of our health and safety principles, staff must get involved, commitand foster a positive healthy and safety culture with the principles outlined by the strategy document. She added that the Authority would not relent on its efforts but use the strategy document to achieve its intended purpose to affirm the VRA’s primacy of workplace health and safety.

Dr. Emmanuel Fiagbey, Country Director for Johns Hopkins University, also encouraged Ghanaians to adhere to the principles outlined in the malaria control document to enhance productivity of every worker and reduce high health-care cost documented by the health authorities nationwide.

Deserving observers of the corporate safety regulations and principles were awarded with the Takoradi Thermal Plant Station (TTPS) emerging first, followed by Akosombo and Kpong Generating Stations respectively.

The programme received support from the Johns Hopkins University, Ministry of Energy, and other professional ad-hog stakeholders of health and safety across the country.