Monrovia – Petroleum company TOTAL Liberia has celebrated World Malaria Day (WMD) in Liberia with the donation of assorted mosquito fumigation materials to residents of Buzzi Quarter in Monrovia.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyene -00231777769531 / 00231880881540 / [email protected]
The items include fumigation cans, chemicals, nose masks, rain boots, raincoats, and gloves.
Presenting the materials at an indoor program commemorating WMD in one of Monrovia’s densely populated slum community on Thursday, April 25, the company’s Corporate Affairs Officer, Nux-ann Harvey said the gesture is the company’s way of contributing to the fight against malaria as well as meeting with its corporate social responsibilities.
Ms. Harvey pledged TOTAL’s continuous commitments to identify with the community and urged residents to use items effectively to free their community of malaria.
“Malaria is something that we all have to acknowledge that it exists. We all have to talk about. Reflecting on the theme for this year which is ‘Zero Malaria Starts With Me’ means we all should take in collective measures to ensure that our environment is clean in order to drive away mosquito which is the main carrier of malaria,” she admonished.
“We are in the community of Buzzi Quarter and we are not different from you. That’s why we will always identify with you when the need arises.”
Giving the background of World Malaria Day (WMD), the Training Manager of TOTAL Liberia, Lawrence Mensah noted that the day is internationally observed and commemorated every year on 25April to recognize the global efforts in controlling disease.
“That is why Total Liberia has decided to give back to the community we all considered as home,” Mensah averred.
He added that Liberia is considered by the WHO as a major epidemic that is declared a public health concern in the country.
Giving statistics, he indicated that malaria is the leading cause of mobility and mortality in children under five years, with pregnant mothers and children being the most vulnerable population in Liberia; adding that 38 percent of outpatient and 42 percent of inpatient deaths recorded in Liberia are attributed to malaria.
In 2010 alone, he indicated that 1,265, 268 cases of malaria were diagnosed in Liberia with children under five years accounting for 38 percent, while those five years and above made up 55.3 percent and pregnant mothers accounting for 6.4 percent.
In 2016, a total of 1,900 deaths were attributed to malaria in the country.
The good news, he noted, is that the rate of malaria cases has fallen by 21 percent globally between 2010 and 2015, while during the same period, deaths attributed to malaria fell by 29 percent.
The event, held in Buzzi Quarter, where Total Liberia’s headquarters is located, attracted a cross-section of community members and employees of the company.
Demonstrating how the fumigation materials work, the Health and Hygiene Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) Manager of Total, Nellie Martor advised the residents to apply the chemicals properly and carefully to avoid bodily harm to them.
She noted that the best way to fight malaria is to “clean your environment and try as hard as possible to get rid of mosquitos since they are the carrier of the disease.”
Also speaking, the Secretary-General of the community leadership, Lloydson G. Flomo, on behalf of the Chairman, thanked Total for the gesture and recounted that the company has always identified with them to improve their livelihood. “We are grateful to Total Liberia. Total has been a good partner to us. The school’s library was in deplorable condition and Total renovated it. We didn’t have water because the pump was damaged. But Total came and provided water for us. She continues to demonstrate her social corporate responsibility well. We are overwhelmed to receive such items. Thank you,” Flomo said.