Wa East makes strides in guinea worm eradication

Buffiama (UW), June 21, GNA - The Wa East District in the

Upper West Region which has for several years being one of the

most endemic districts
in guinea worm in the country has not recorded any case of the

disease since
the beginning of this year.
During the same period last year, the District registered 64 cases,

Mr Joseph Bolubie, the District Director of Health Services said at

Buffiama, a farming community in the District on Friday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a Community Based

Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound, which would serve as

a first point of call for persons with ailments in and around Buffiama

community.
He noted that, the relative success in the eradication of the

disease in the district was due to increased surveillance by health

workers, community health volunteers and an improvement in the

quality of water supplied to the communities.
Mr. Bolubie was optimistic that, with the continuous support of

development partners such as Catholic Relief Services and

cooperation from the inhabitants, the District would achieve its target

of total eradication of the disease by the end of this year.
Mr George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister

described the CHPS concept as very laudable, saying its benefits

could be realized through improved access to primary health care

services in communities.
He called on Assemblymen and women and other opinion leaders

to get involved in the planning and implementation of all activities of

the CHPS compounds to ensure that they render services that would

relieve the people of preventable diseases.
Touching on the National Health Insurance Scheme, he said apart

from its increase of access to health institutions, it was also

improving the infrastructure development of the health facilities.
Dr. Alexis Nang-beifubah, the Regional Director of Health

Services enumerated the benefits of CHPS in the country's health

care delivery system and said 197 CHPS compounds would be

developed through-out the region by 2015.