Wa East makes strides in guinea worm eradication

Buffiama (UW), June 21, GNA - The Wa East District in the Upper West Region which has for several years being one of the most endemic districts in guinea worm in the country has not recorded any case of the disease since the beginning of this year.

During the same period last year, the District registered 64 cases, Mr Joseph Bolubie, the District Director of Health Services said at Buffiama, a farming community in the District on Friday. He was speaking at the inauguration of a Community Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound, which would serve as a first point of call for persons with ailments in and around Buffiama community.

He noted that, the relative success in the eradication of the disease in the district was due to increased surveillance by health workers, community health volunteers and an improvement in the quality of water supplied to the communities. Mr. Bolubie was optimistic that, with the continuous support of development partners such as Catholic Relief Services and cooperation from the inhabitants, the District would achieve its target of total eradication of the disease by the end of this year.

Mr George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister described the CHPS concept as very laudable, saying its benefits could be realized through improved access to primary health care services in communities. He called on Assemblymen and women and other opinion leaders to get involved in the planning and implementation of all activities of the CHPS compounds to ensure that they render services that would relieve the people of preventable diseases.

Touching on the National Health Insurance Scheme, he said apart from its increase of access to health institutions, it was also improving the infrastructure development of the health facilities. Dr. Alexis Nang-beifubah, the Regional Director of Health Services enumerated the benefits of CHPS in the country's health care delivery system and said 197 CHPS compounds would be developed through-out the region by 2015.