Black flies invade Birim North and Akyemmansa Districts

New Abirem, July 24, GNA - Large numbers of black flies, which cause river blindness, have invaded the Birim North and Akyemmansa Districts of the Eastern Region where the Pra, Nwi and Mama rivers overflowed their banks following heavy downpours in the area recently. The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has begun distributing preventive drugs to all residents who are above age five, and who are up to 90 Centimetres tall, free of charge as a preventive measure against the river blindness disease.

The Birim North District Director of Health Services, Mr Teye Djangmah, announced this when he addressed the District Assembly during its sitting at New Abirem on Friday.

He urged the assembly members to educate their people to take the drugs regularly to avoid contracting the disease.

Mr Djangmah also advised the residents, who are mostly farmers, to wear protective clothes such as trousers and long sleeved shirts when working on their farms to avoid being bitten by the flies. He disclosed that the flies breed in the rocky areas of the three rivers whenever they over flow their banks and advised the people to take the precautionary measures seriously to keep them healthy.