Alhaji Idris joins Barclays' on Guinea Worm Walk

Tamale, July 30, GNA - Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister and Dr Elias Sory, Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) at the weekend joined some residents of Tamale in a 10-km walk in the Metropolis to create awareness on the guinea worm resurgence in the Northern Region.

Barclays Bank organized the Walk to raise about 33,000 Pounds Sterling to assist in the guinea worm eradication programme in the country.

Dr Sory in an address to the participants after the two and half hour Walk commended the massive turn-out by the people in the Metropolis to support the initiative.

He said the Walk was not only meant to create awareness and to raise funds but also to improve the physical well being of participants and advised them to embark on such regular exercises to improve their health status.

Alhaji Idris announced that the 18 Districts of the Region are to contribute six million cedis each (GH cedis 600) towards the eradication of the disease and pledged to pay 100 million cedis (GH cedis 1,000) to the programme this week.

Mr. Gayheart Mensah, Communications Director of Barclays Bank said the sponsors have decided to embark on a 80,000 kilometer Walk in Ghana in support of the guinea worm eradication exercise while other countries were also undertaking similar Walks in support of malaria prevention. Other personnel who took part in the Walk included Ms Lamisi Mbilla, Miss World Beauty with a Purpose, the Northern Regional Police Commander, Mr. Ephraim Barakatu, Dr Seidu Korkor, National Coordinator of the Guinea Worm Programme and District Chief Executives from the guinea worm endemic Districts.