Ghana to be out of Guinea-Worm region by 2010

Kpasa (V/R), April 26, GNA - Mr Charles Bintim, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development on Tuesday said the country would completely come out of the Guinea-Worm region by the year 2010. He said government had released an amount of 20 billion cedis for the construction of boreholes in all endemic zones in the country. Mr Bintim said this, when he accompanied Mr Joseph Kwaku Nayan, Deputy Volta Regional Minister to call on the Chiefs and people of Kpasa to sympathize with them during the final funeral rites of Uborr Belefune Konja IV, Paramount Chief of Kpasa, who died two years ago. Mr Bintim described the country's situation as not the best with over 3000 cases of Guinea-Worm infection in 22 districts.
He noted that district assemblies were not doing enough to assist the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the fight against the continuous existence of the disease among the people in the districts. Mr Bintim said government was therefore, bringing the assemblies on board to intensify the campaign.
He said government had begun the construction of 10 boreholes for each of the 22 endemic districts, after which the district assemblies in collaboration with the MOH would provide filters for the communities. Mr Bintim said the assemblies would also provide bicycles to volunteers to aid their movement in the districts.
" With all these measures, we hope to be out completely by 2010", he said.
Mr Bintim said this shows how committed government was to rural development, adding, "Very soon all villages including Kpasa will get good drinking water".
He called on the people to maintain the existing peaceful atmosphere in the area and install a new chief in that peaceful atmosphere.
Mr Nayan said the construction of a Rehabilitation Training Centre (RTC), the provision of good drinking water and improvement of road network demonstrated how committed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was to the rural people.
He urged them to remain focused and support the party to benefit from its policies such as the National Health Insurance Scheme and free education.
Mr Joseph Denteh, Nkwanta District Chief Executive on behalf of the government donated two million cedis, two cartons of beer and two crates of soft drink to the bereaved family.