Workshop on Burili Ulcer held at Nkoranza

Nkoranza (B/A), Aug. 12 GNA – Mr Idris Buabeng, Programme Manager of Medical Assistance Programme (MAP) International, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Sunyani, has urged the general public not to attribute Buruli Ulcer cases to superstitions and witchcraft.

Speaking at a refresher training workshop, organised for 35 community-based surveillance volunteers (CBSV) at Nkoranza at the weekend, Mr Buabeng explained that the disease was curable and it is not caused by witchcraft.

He said MAP International, which originated from the United States, arrived in Ghana in the year 2008 and started work in Nkoranza District with the objective of offering necessary financial and logistic support towards the control of Buruli Ulcer.

The workshop was organised by the Nkoranza South District Directorate of Education to update the knowledge of the volunteers on the symptoms of the disease, to enable them to detect cases of the disease and report to the health facilities.

Mr Buabeng said MAP was currently supporting health facilities in Nkoranza South and North districts, as well as Sunyani West and Dormaa districts, in managing Buruli Ulcer cases.

He said the Programme offered capacity building for nurses, provided community health volunteers with updated information on the disease and also increased community awareness to control the disease.

The Programme Manager deplored the negative practice and attitude of some pastors, fetish priests/priestesses and herbalists, who kept Buruli ulcer and tuberculosis (TB) patients in homes with the intention of treating them.

He called on prayer camps, religious ministers and fetish priests/priestesses not to place their welfare above the health and attention of patients but rather to refer them to the hospitals.

Mr Charles Kwasi Gyamfi, Nkoranza South District Disease Control Officer called on traditional rulers, religious leaders and teachers to educate Buruli ulcer and TB patients to visit the hospitals.

He noted that, diseases such as leprosy, elephantiasis, yaws and trypasomiasis still existed in some communities and urged the volunteers to report any strange skin disease to health facilities.

Mr Gyamfi later distributed some onchocerciasis drugs to the volunteers for supply to the communities in the disease endemic zones.

The Nkoranza South District Director of Health Services, Madam Salamatu Ibrahim, commended the volunteers for their immense support to the Ghana Health Service, towards the provision of quality health service delivery to the people in the area.