Every year on the 25th of April, countries around the globe mark World Malaria Day and Papua New Guinea joins the rest this year to commemorate the day with the theme “DRIVEN TO END MALARIA: Now We Can, Now We Must.”
Today, the National Department of Health (NDoH) through the Public Health Division in partnership with the National Capital District (NCD) Provincial Health Authority (PHA), World Health Organization (WHO) and Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM) commemorated World Malaria Day at the St Peter Chanel Primary School in Port Moresby city.
Representatives from the respective organizations spoke on the importance of prevention and treatment. While inspiring stories were shared to the students by the guests on each of their respective roles to raise awareness on prevention and control of this curable disease.
Dr. Munir Ahmed, the General Manager for Rotarians Against Malaria, had the students and teachers recite an oath to help as advocators in the campaign against the malaria disease. While Dr. Petronia Kaima, Manager-Communicable Disease from the Department of Health emphasized the importance of prevention.
Dr. Kaima said that while Malaria is a curable disease, many Papua New Guineans still do not practice safety and prevention measures, resulting in many experiencing the negative side of not getting treated and obviously end up dying.
Dr. Rose Morre, Deputy Director-Public Health from NCD PHA, told the students that it is important to be aware of the implications of malaria when it is not treated immediately. She said, it is sad to know that malaria has become a killer disease even though it is a curable one.
The day was also celebrated with students performing creative dance acts and singing, while the school’s teachers had a segment of quiz, with students given the opportunity to answer general and specific questions relating to the Malaria Disease to win mosquito nets given by Rotarians Against Malaria.
The Celebrations ended with the staff from the Department of Health conducting a free malaria testing for interest students, staffs and parents that were part of the event.
