Guinea worm infections dwindle in Upper West

Wa, May 15, GNA - The Upper West Region recorded only one case of guinea worm infection at Chawuli in the Wa East District in November 2007, giving hope that the region was now moving towards a total eradication of the disease.

Since then, only one imported case was discovered in the Jirapa District in January 2008, Mr. Jacob Mumuni, the Regional Guinea worm Coordinator disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Wa.

He said the region has within the past few years made great strides in guinea worm eradication, but their problem was that the region shared boundaries with the Northern Region where the disease was still widespread and they could therefore not rule out imported cases from time to time.

He attributed this remarkable improvement in the eradication of the disease to intensive education, which had succeeded in changing the behaviour and attitude of the people towards the disease. Mr Mumuni said although good water played a part in the eradication process it was not entirely responsible without other factors like change in behaviour and attitude of the people.

"People think provision of good drinking water to the endemic communities alone can eliminate the worm, but that is not the case because if you give them the water and they don't drink it, the problem will persist," he said.

Mr Mumuni pointed out that even without any infections and imported cases it usually took some time to talk of complete eradication of guinea worm in an area, since that could only be certified after not less than three years surveillance by International Organizations tasked with that responsibility.

The Guinea worm Coordinator appealed to people especially those living in areas which were endemic to report all suspected swellings to the nearest health facility.