Northern region records 55 per cent reduction in guineaworm cases

Tamale, (Northern Region) 25 Feb. '99,

The Guineaworm Eradication Programme (GWEP) recorded 55 per cent of case reduction in the Northern region last year from 5,989 cases in 1997 to 2,704. This was made possible through the expanded use of abate, a chemical for the treatment of guineaworm infested water bodies, and intensified case surveillance in about 4,000 endemic communities in the region, according to the programme's regional control officer, Mr. Patrick Apoya. Mr Apoya told newsmen in Tamale yesterday that the biggest reduction rate of 83 per cent was in the Gushegu-Karaga district which is the most endemic district in the region. He said over 80 per cent of cases reported last year were treated mostly through a simple surgery to remove the worm and dressing of wounds. Mr Mpoya said over 30,000 water filters were distributed to a number of households while a total of seven million cedis was paid as incentives to patients who reported to health centres for treatment. This year the GWEP has stepped up health education in the rural communities to ensure total eradication of the disease alongside the distribution of modified filters and vigorous use of chemicals to destroy the guineaworm cyclops.