Heightened Surveillance: the key to Guinea Worm Eradication

17-06-2011
Narration: The Upper East Health Promotion Officer, Gastron Bosie has challenged all Municipal and District Directors of Health Services in the Region to heighten their surveillance mechanisms on Guinea- worm eradication through community sensitization and dialogue with all organized groups at the community level. This, he noted, is the surest way to maintain the zero-reporting case of the disease. According to him efforts aimed at achieving the desired results rely solely on health professionals and community based surveillance volunteers manning the various health facilities across the region and charged them to initiate communication plans and strategies to reach out to the people at the community level. Mr. Bosie was addressing Municipal and District Health Officers at a two-day training seminar on Guinea-worm Eradication at Bolgatanga as part of the National GW Eradication Programme instituted by the Ghana Health Service. Here is a report by correspondent Isaac Asare.

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Report
About 30 District Health Directors and health promotion officers including focal persons on Guinea –worm Eradication attended the two-day training programme organized in preparation for the pre-certification phase of the Guinea –worm Eradication Programme. The meeting among other interventions was geared at motivating health officers and community volunteers in the dissemination of information on GW. Topics on data management, reward systems, and criteria for certification as GW free region, were brought to the fore for discussion. Mr. Bosie in a presentation noted that the breaking of indigenous transmission of guinea-worm in the region was achieved through the tireless efforts of health workers and community based surveillance volunteers among other community members, hence the need for concerted and integrated effort to ensure its total eradication. What is needed, according to him, was strong political will by chiefs and community leaders in achieving the desired result. He therefore stressed the need to bring all expertise on board to keep Ghanaians healthy and thus continue to be role models for counterparts in the sub region to emulate. He moreover asked the media to partner the GHS to carry out vigorous educational campaign to facilitate the declaration of Ghana free from guinea worm. The Regional Disease Surveillance Officer, Thomas Abachie, entreated health professionals to complement plans to embark on serious monitoring and supervision on the disease at the local level. He said the region since 1992 has not recorded any case of GW and charged community volunteers to scale up their communication and awareness programme to maintain the success chalked. Mr. Abachie also entreated health officers to stay vigilant and report any suspected case of the disease since it has not gone completely and can emerge at any time. Active surveillance he stressed is the key to GW eradication in the country. He further said that any reliable information leading to suspected case of GW nationwide attracts a cash reward of 100 Ghana Cedis and charged the general public not to hesitate to report any suspected case of the disease including measles, meningitis and polio. The Regional Disease Control Officer, Madam Faustina Bezen and the Regional Guinea-worm Coordinator, Mr. Lawrence Yelifare both charged district health promotion officers and volunteers to provide accurate data on reported cases of ailments in their areas and later announced that a team of GW free certification consultants would visit the region to monitor surveillance activities of volunteers, community members and the extent of support from the district assemblies in the fight against the disease. They however called on the government, stakeholders and district assemblies to ensure the provision of potable water and sanitation facilities to help stem the spread of communicable diseases.
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