Let's all fight Yaws - Bagbin

Mr. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, Minister of Health, on Wednesday, called for massive support and collaboration of all stakeholders in the fight against Yaws, a neglected tropical disease which has become endemic across the country.

To this effect, the Health Minister charged the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve this goal before the end of the year 2016.

He called upon Regional and District Directors of Health Services, the media, all professionals as well as all communities and community volunteers in the field to help fight the disease with fury.

Mr. Bagbin, who made the call at the launch of the Yaws eradication drive in Accra, noted that the revealed presence of the disease, which was thought to have been eradicated years ago in Ghana, was unacceptable and if left unchecked, is bound to place a dent on “our emerging reputation as a middle income country”.

Yaws, which is basically among the neglected tropical diseases, is presented as a chronic disease of the skin, bones or cartilage and mostly affects children under 15 years.

The ulcers and sores which are often painless often leave ugly scars and cause various deformities which also lead to social stigma and isolation of sufferers.

Statistics from the GHS reveals that the disease is prevalent in all Districts of Ghana particularly, among the poorest communities in the Eastern, Volta, Western, Central, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions.

The current national prevalence is estimated at 700 per 100,000 children below the age of five, and the literature suggests that Ghana’s neighboring countries including Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire still harbours the disease too.

Mr Bagbin said it was however welcoming news that the germ that causes Yaws could be cleared with just one injection of Azinthromycin penicillin and an intensified education of personal hygiene and therefore the argument for eradication was strong and needed a sustained commitment to achieve that goal.

He noted that neglected tropical diseases unfortunately, constitute a huge burden in Ghana and in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole as they do not only occur as a result of poverty, but that they actually precipitate and intensify poverty mainly among poor countries and marginalized communities.

He cited some countries like Ecuador and India who have successfully eliminated Yaws and said Ghana could do the same and even better.

He declared the total commitment of government and the MOH and pledged to personally lead the crusade against the totally eradication of Yaw and other neglected tropical diseases.

Mr Yaw Brobbey-Mpiani, Deputy Director in Charge of Administration at the GHS, explained that Yaws is spread by skin contact and daily bathing effectively prevents the germ from spreading.

He said although the disease does not kill, but like many chronic diseases of its kind, it develops slowly and painless in the body, targeting mostly children though everybody can be affected.

Mr Brobbey explained that with the new means of treatment, Ghana now stands a better chance of eradicating the disease using a mass drug distribution in endemic communities while promoting personal hygiene in all communities across the country.