Guinea Worm Eradication Programme Launched

The National Guinea Worm Eradication Programme (NGWEP) has launched the sensitization campaign strategy in Accra.

The programme was aimed at educating the public on the eradication of guinea worm diseases in the country.

The programme emphasized on the declined of the guinea worm cases from 8,290 in 2004, to 8 at the end of 2010 it added that as at January 2011, there has not been any reported case.

Speaking at the occasion the Minister of Health Hon. Joseph Yilleh Chiren said, “So far this year, no case of guinea worm has been reported; this represents 8 months since the last case was reported in May 2010 and 14 months since the last uncontained case in October, 2009” he said.

He said “It is your turn to ensure that everyone in Ghana is aware of our achievement thus far and known what to do when they see anything that look like guinea worm diseases”

Hon. Chiren in his speech made known that he is happy to note that the health education and promotion officers are going to form vanguards of the national communication campaign and community sensitization effort, which their colleagues have already worked hard to break transmission.

The heath Minister therefore assured that the initial amount of GH¢50 will be increased to GH¢100 on any guinea worm case reported.

Hon. Naa Prof. John S. Nabila who chaired the occasion in his remarks mentioned that he is happy that after so many years of waging war on this disease, it has finally gotten to the verge of eradicating it.

“Medical students use to see guinea worms physically for their studies but now they can only see them in books” he added.

Prof. Nabila pledged to use his position as a traditional ruler to help increase awareness among the general population, advocate and lobby for more support so that the disease will be finally covered adding that the public should not be complacent that the disease is finally gone, “Complacent sometimes lets the greatest man forget how to be great” he noted.

The Director General of Ghana Health Service Dr. Elias Sory recalled the pain he went through when he personally contacted the guinea worm disease and therefore called for a total eradication of the disease.

Dr. Sory outlined some challenges that they went through in eradicating the disease saying that some affected communities thought that guinea worm disease was an act of witchcraft and that no medication can cure it.

He emphasized that provision of potable water for the affected communities was a big challenge but the government and other corporate organizations helped to rectify the problem.

Also at the occasion were dignitaries from USAID Ms. Sheryl Anderson the resident coordinator of Carter Centre Mr. Jim Niquette, resident representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency Mr. Kunihiro Yamauchi, Dr. Iyabo Olusanmi who represented UNICEF, Scountry Director for WHO Dr. Daniel Kertesz, the head of EU Delegation H. E. Claudia Maerten and the National Program Manager for GWE Dr. Andrew Seidu Korkor.

These dignitaries they said have worked vigorously to ensure that Ghana is not represented on the guinea worm associated countries anymore.Francis Yanchira DG.