CWSA assist to eradicate guinea worm

Tamale, April 28, GNA- The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in collaboration with other stakeholders through the provision of safe drinking water and improved sanitation have been supporting the national effort aimed at the eradication of the guinea worm disease in the Northern Region.

As at the end of the year 2006, out of the 4,132 cases of guinea worm infections recorded in the country 3,653 representing 88.4 per cent cases were recorded in the ten most endemic districts, all of which were in the Northern Region.

Mr. James Adusei- Sarkodie, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CWSA said this at a press conference in Tamale on Friday. Other Board members present were: Dr. (Ing) Gyan-Boakye, Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Aba Smith, Mr. Isaac Adu Boahene and Mrs. Agnes Akosua Philips.

Mr. Adusei-Sarkodie said the infections rate of the guinea worm disease in the region had remained the same as at the first quarter of this year. He said it was to address the situation that the CWSA since the year 2002 had intensified the provision of potable water to the rural communities.

Mr. Adusei-Sarkodie said the CWSA had facilitated the delivery of 136 hand-dug wells fitted with hand pumps, 1,490 boreholes fitted with hand pumps and 21 piped schemes had also been constructed in 12 districts of the region.

Some of the beneficiary communities of these interventions are: Bole District five hand-dug wells, 152 boreholes and three piped schemes, East Gonja District; 9 hand dug wells, 148 boreholes and 3 piped schemes.

Tolon/Kumbungu District; 27 boreholes and one piped scheme, West Mamprusi District; 71 hand dug wells 121 boreholes and one piped scheme and Savelugu/Nanton; 7 hand dug wells, 57 boreholes and 3 piped schemes. The Board Chairman said as a result of these interventions, rural potable water supply coverage in the region had improved from; 33 per cent in 2003 to 39 per cent in 2004 and 42 per cent in 2005 to 58 per cent at the close of 2006.

He said the government and the agency had provided pipe-borne water supply to Ducie, a guinea worm endemic community in the Upper West Region.

Mr. Adusei-Sarkodie said with the cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders actively engaged in the provision of potable water to the rural communities the guinea worm disease in the Northern Region and the entire country would be eradicated in the not too distant future. Dr. Seidu Korkor, National Coordinator of the Guinea Worm Eradication Programme said attitudinal change was a major factor in the fight against the eradication of the guinea worm disease in the Northern Region.