Tema-Ghana, April 30, CDA Consult – Dr. Mrs. Dorothy Hanson, a Medical Officer at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH), has advised the public to seek laboratory testing if their malaria symptoms persist after using a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT).
She emphasised that, while the RPD may aid in malaria diagnosis, it is not always effective due to the way it is delivered.
The advice was given by Dr. Mrs. Hanson at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility,” a Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing a platform for health information dissemination in order to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy.
The Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Office developed the public health advocacy platform “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility” to investigate the elements of four health communication approaches: informing, instructing, persuading, and urging.
Dr. Mrs. Hanson stated that in terms of malaria testing, microscopy laboratory testing has remained the “gold standard” due to its dependability and precision in detecting and counting the quantity of parasites in the patient for accurate therapy.
She further said that if the latter’s instructions were not followed correctly, some RDT could produce a negative test result even if the patient was infected with the parasite.
According to Dr. Mrs. Hanson, each brand of RDT may have unique guidelines, such as how many drops of blood to use and how long to wait before examining the results, that if not followed would result in an incorrect diagnosis.
As a result, she advocated for adequate training for pharmacy attendants in order for them to perform the test correctly and acquire trustworthy findings, which may subsequently guide the treatment to be administered.
She recommended the public to reduce mosquito bites by, among other things, keeping their surroundings clean to restrict mosquito breeding sites, sleeping under treated mosquito nets, applying pesticides, and using repellents.
She also recommended the public to always test for malaria before beginning any malaria treatment, pointing out that malaria symptoms can be similar to those of other disorders.
Every year on April 25, the international community commemorates World Malaria Day to reflect on the malaria fight’s progress and difficulties.
“Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate, and Implement” is the theme of World Malaria Day 2023.
According to Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Regional Manager of Ghana News Agency Tema, “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility” is part of a collaborative effort to establish a means of disseminating health information in order to influence individual health decisions by increasing health literacy.
He also remarked that the Ghana News Agency and medical professionals will be used to inform the public that everyone’s health is vital and should be prioritised.
According to Mr. Ameyibor, the health of parents should be a priority for children, as should the health of employees and employers, as well as the public and health professionals.
Mr. Ameyibor observed that in order to establish a healthy society, everyone must care about the well-being of others.
According to Mr. Ameyibor, the weekly health discussion forum will also serve as a valuable communication channel for health professionals to educate the public on healthy behaviours and other general health concerns.
