Accra, July 11, GNA - In 1998 there were nearly 180,000 cases of guinea worm infections in all districts and regions in the country but the "case load has since reduced by about 98 per cent to 3,981 cases at the end of 2005," Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Deputy Minister of Health, said in Parliament on Tuesday.

"As of the third week in June 2006, Ghana had recorded 2,445 cases of guinea worm disease compared with 2,699 cases for the same period last year, an insignificant reduction of only 8 per cent." "The current state of affairs is the result of sporadic outbreaks recorded in some villages, principally in Savelugu-Nanton; Tolon-Kumbungu; Tamale and Yendi districts in the Northern Region and Pru in the Brong Ahafo Region.

"Pru District is one of only 20 districts that account for nearly 98 per cent of all guinea worm disease in Ghana today," he said. Mr Owusu-Agyei was responding to a question on what plans the Ministry had initiated to address the resurgence of guinea worm infection in the Pru Constituency.

He said the Pru District was the most endemic district in the Brong Ahafo Region and since the second half of 2005 the Ministry had aggressively supported the field staff with logistic assistance including the allocation of four motorcycles and 21 bicycles. He said health education programmes had also been stepped up, adding; "regular household checks are made to ensure that each household in endemic villages has a cloth filter and those eligible carry a pipe filter with them.

"Water sources that are identified as potential sources of contamination are treated with ABATE on a monthly basis. "We are happy with the lead role that was taken by the Pru District Assembly in social mobilization and awareness creation. It is expected that all these activities will lead to a reduction in the number of cases this year," he said