Eastern Region wins fight in guinea-worm eradication programme

Koforidua, July 10, GNA- The Eastern Region Guinea Worm Eradication Programme has been recording consistent rate of reduction of the disease over the past four years.

The Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the Programme, Mr Robert A Inkumsah, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the region recorded 17 cases between January and May, this year, as compared to 29 for the same period last year.

He said since 1999 reported cases stood at 241 with the Afram Plains District topping the list with 169 among the 15 districts but the trend had been falling with only 45 cases reported in 2002.

Mr Inkumsah said the Afram Plains District remained the most endemic area due to importation of cases from the Volta and Northern regions where 14 out of the 25 endemic villages in the region were located. Mr Inkumsah said as part of the Programme's case containment efforts, 68 ponds in 43 villages were being treated with abate chemicals to destroy the cyclops (eggs) of the worms while all households in the endemic villages, including suspected areas were provided with filters to treat drinking water.

The programme has been organising health education durbars and film shows alongside radio talks in communities on the Volta Star FM station. He commended the Afram Plains Development Organisation (APDO), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), for supporting the programme in the District by drilling 24 boreholes in some endemic communities last year. Mr Inkumsah said the Programme received about 24.7 million cedis from the Global 2000 Foundation, an NGO last year to support the programme.