Ducie (U/W), June 4, GNA - The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launch= ed a guinea worm communication strategy at Ducie in the Wa East District of th= e Upper West Region. It forms part of the National Guinea-worm Eradication Programme. A six-member Guinea-worm Communication Taskforce has been inaugurated to monitor and report any suspected cases on time to ensure that the diseas= e to prevent a return of the disease.

Dr Alexix Nang-Deisubah, the Regional Director of Health Services, in a speech read on his behalf, noted that the breaking of the indigenous transmission of guinea-worm in the Region was achieved through the hard wor= k of health workers, community-based surveillance volunteers and community members.

He urged the taskforce to draw a communication plan to sensitise community members, dialogue with all social groups in the district and cooperate with school health teachers to carry out school-health education on guinea-worm. Dr Nang-Deisubah announced that a team of guinea-worm-free certification consultants would visit the Region to monitor the surveillanc= e by volunteers, community members and the extent of support from district assemblies in the fight against guinea-worm. He asked stakeholders in the fight against guinea worm to step up thei= r activities to make the region guinea-worm-free.

Mr Thompson Dumba, the Wa East District Director of Health Services, cautioned the people to immediately report tuberculosis, cerebro spinal meningitis, measles, poliomyelitis and leprosy to the hospital. He also advised the people, especially children under-five years and pregnant women to sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent them from getting malaria.

Kuoro Alhassan Jenjie, the Chief of Ducie, thanked the GHS for its efforts to eradicate the disease from the area, which in the past recorded the highest guinea-worm cases in the District. He noted that many men in the area were suffering from hernia and appealed to the GHS to help those suffering from the ailment.