Accra, Sept 23, GNA - Ghana, apart from Sudan is currently the most heavily endemic country with Guinea Worm cases in the African region with 5,606 cases in 2001, Dr. Fredric K. Wurapa, a consultant with the Health Services Development said in Accra on Tuesday.

He said whilst other endemic countries in the region had recorded zero cases, after implementing the strategy recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ghana was reporting increasing cases. From January to June 2003, out of the distribution of 7,110 cases of guinea worm, Ghana contributed 11 per cent, Nigeria, seven per cent while other nine endemic countries in the African region contributed seven percent.

Dr. Wurapa said these at the opening of a three-day third annual research meeting to disseminate research findings of the Institute of Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) to health policy and decision makers, health related non-governmental organisations, health partners and the scientific community.

This would help them plan future research activities in relation to health problems of public importance in the country.

The theme for the annual meeting is, "Controlling Endemic diseases: Bridging the Research-Policy Divide" with this year's meeting, focusing on "Diseases marked for Eradication and Emerging Health Problems". The health researchers would also debate on the motion of whether Poverty is a barrier to disease eradication.

Some of the topics to be discussed include sexual reproductive health, new emerging diseases, buruli ulcer, non- communicable diseases and malaria control.

Dr Wurapa said disease eradication globally was defined as reducing incidence of disease to zero as a result of obviating the necessary efforts and control measures but due to low scientific feasibility, inadequate political will and support, countries like Ghana have not been able to achieve the target of recording zero case.

He attributed Ghana's inability to many factors, which included failure to empower endemic communities to address their health issues, inadequate use of community's resources and volunteers.

"Ghana does not deserve to be the only country in the African region reporting the largest number of guinea worm cases since 2000. The strategy is known, tested and proven successful by other countries all we need is diligently applying it".

Six diseases-poliomyelitis, mumps rubella, lymphatic filariasis and taeniasis/cysticercosis including guinea worm were identified as potentially eradicable out of the 94 diseases identified by the international Task Force Disease Eradication (ITFDE).

Seven other clinical manifestations of diseases identified by ITFDE that might be eliminated were blindness from onchocerciasis, urban rabies, yaws, hepatitis B, neonatal tetanus, and trachoma and iodine deficiency.

Dr Wurapa said Ghana had been able to control cases like polio, measles, bilharzia and onchocerciasis.

"Eradication programmes depended greatly on health infrastructure which could only be effectively provided through a good community-based case detection and reporting", adding, "that is what we have failed to implement".

He said with polio, Ghana has been able to reduce transmission and would be able to achieve certification from the World Health Organisation (WHO) by the year 2005.

Professor Seth Ayittey, Provost of the College of Health Sciences said developed countries had made much economic progress because they had eliminated the diseases that plagued their working force, whilst developing countries still spent much money on treatment of those diseases while several man-hours were lost in those burdened by the same diseases.

Prof. Ayittey said there is need to focus on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, which were gradually wiping away the human resources and crippling the economy and educational system.

Dr. Sam Adjei, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Services, (GHS) called for community participation in addressing their health needs and move services and interventions to the individuals and households.

He said GHS would increase private participation from 35 per cent to 50 or more per cent for more people to have access to health care services.