Accra, Sept. 26, GNA - Vice President Aliu Mahama on Wednesday expressed worry about the rising incidence of Guineaworm, which he said was lowering the high international image of Ghana. He noted that the water-borne disease afflict patients for a long time thereby reducing socio-economic productivity in the most endemic areas.

The Vice President expressed these views when he interacted with Ms Barbara Frost, Chief Executive Officer of Water Aid, a British international non-governmental organisation, at the Osu Castle. He solicited the assistance of the NGO to deal with the problem. Vice President Mahama said provision of water and sanitation facilities was means of fighting poverty and a drive to fulfil the aspirations of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's). Vice President Mahama commended Water Aid for targeting about one million people in Ghana with water and sanitation facilities. Ms Frost who is on a week's duty tour of Ghana, said her organisation had operated in Ghana for the past 24 years. She acknowledged the personal efforts of the Vice President to facilitate the netting of the MDGs in Ghana. Mr Stephen Ntow, Country Representative of Water Aid, told journalists that the organisation, which operates in 11 districts in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Greater Accra, Eastern, Western and Volta regions, receives two million pounds locally to support its operations.

The organisation also raises 600,000 pounds locally every year, to meet its core objectives of partnering Government and NGO's to provide water, sanitation facilities.