Eradicating Malaria:Private sector to draw action plan

A three-day workshop to this effect began yesterday, May 16, 2016, in Yaounde.

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveal that the economic impact of malaria extends beyond the direct impact on labour productivity.

According to the WHO, malaria is the number one cause of absenteeism in business enterprises with infected workers taking between one to 10 days off from work for treatment and recovery.

Knowing that malaria burden is likely to increase labour turnover resulting in increased hiring and training costs and reduced profitability for enterprises in the private sector, particularity the formal sectors, like plantation farms, "Malaria No More" in partnership with the Ministries of Public Health and Labour and Social Security, is currently organising a three-day workshop in Yaounde in a bid to train actors in the private sector on the drawing up of an action plan for the fight against malaria in enterprises.

The Country Director of "Malaria No More", Olivia Ngou, said the impact of malaria is not only on the income of families but also on the productivity of an enterprise. She revealed that 72 enterprises in Africa have reported negative results due to recurrent cases of malaria amongst workers.

Because malaria can be treated and prevented, Olivia Ngou said there is need for each enterprise to put in place an action plan to curb the pandemic amongst its workers.

In this way, private sectors will effectively contribute to the development of Cameroon. By the end of the workshop, participants from different private enterprises in the country will have shared ideas on the pandemic, learn how to draw up an action plan and come out with one which could consist of providing treated bed nets to all pregnant women in an enterprise or put in place measures for workers to be systematically tested for malaria.