Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 1st April '99

River blindness has been identified among a number of people living in the forest areas of the country, Dr Kofi Ahmed, Director of the National Oncho Control Programme said in Kumasi on Wednesday. Problems, effects and consequent loss of economic activities associated with the disease, also known as Onchocerciasis, in the forest areas have also been identified, he said. Dr Ahmed announced this at the opening of a three-day workshop on oncho control for health workers in the Ashanti Region. The 54 participants include district directors of health services, public health nurses, disease control officers and members of the Regional Health Management Team. The workshop, organised by the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, is to create awareness about the disease in those areas and to train the health workers in its control. Dr Ahmed said OCP, which began about 25 years ago in West Africa has successfully control the disease in the northern half of the country. It is, therefore, necessary for health workers to redouble their effort to control the disease in the forest areas to sustain the gains of OCP. Dr Ahmed pointed out that recent surveys have shown that the disease is endemic in some districts in the region and called on health workers to be extra vigilant. Dr Emmanuel Appiah-Denkyira, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services said with the reforms in the administration of health services, the staff must ensure that planned programmes are carried out effectively in a co-ordinated manner.