Money Motivates Guineaworm Patients

Tamale, Aug. 13, -- The Ministry of Health has paid 20 million cedis as part of a pilot scheme to reward guineaworm patients who go to medical centres for treatment. The pilot scheme in the Northern Region, which has the highest number of guineaworm cases, is supported by the British government. This was made known to the GNA in Tamale today by Mr Patrick Apoya, Deputy Regional Co-ordinator of the Guineaworm Eradication Programme (GWEP). He said the scheme introduced this year as part of the Ministry of Health's case containment strategy, has motivated patients to report for treatment. About 65 cash disbursement centres and four mobile extraction teams are supporting the programme. During the first half of the year, a total of 5,137 cases were reported in the region, an increase of 63.8 per cent over last year's. He said a major set-back in guineaworm eradication is that ''vector control is difficult in extremely large sizes of water bodies in highly endemic areas of Savelugu, Gushiegu, Karaga and Bimbilla''. But, he said, a sustainable chemical treatment schedule has been adopted by the GWEP to contain the situation. Mr Apoya said the ministry is carrying out an advocacy programme to ensure the provision of safe drinking water for the affected communities.