Outbreak Of Bilharzias Reported In Mfantseman District

An outbreak of schistosomiasis popularly called bilharzia has been reported at Abeadze Traditional Area of the Mfantseman District. Kyeakor, Akyiase, Akobima, Kyekyewowere and Mprenkyi have been identified as the endemic communities. Kora and Bosomako streams in the area are suspected to be the carriers of the disease. A team of volunteers made up of pharmacists and nurses were organized by the chiefs of the area led by Daasebre Kwebu Ewusie VII, the Paramount Chief, on “a rescue mission to the area.” Mr Francis Adu, a lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Mr Jacob Amoah, Ejisu Juaben District Pharmacist, led the volunteers to treat 600 people at Kyeakore last Saturday. The team also trained some volunteers in the community on how to administer drugs to people infected by the disease. Mr Amoah said he and Mr Adu became friends of the area through activities of the revived Fante Confederation, of which Daasebre Ewusie was the President. He said when they were informed about the outbreak of the disease, they decided to offer some help. Mr Adu cautioned the inhabitants against using water from the streams for bathing, washing and drinking. He said their efforts to control the disease would yield very little results if they went go back to use water from the contaminated streams. Daasebre Ewusie praised the pharmacists for their volunteer spirit and appealed to the elite in the society to emulate their example. He commended Mr William Atatsi, the Medical Assistant in charge of Dominase Health Centre, through whose surveillance the disease was detected and brought to the notice of the chiefs. He said a task force would be set up in the endemic communities to arrest people who would go to the streams. Mrs Comfort Quansah, Assembly member for Kyeakor, appealed to the Mfantseman District Assembly and Community Water and Sanitation Agency to rehabilitate boreholes in the area. She expressed regret that only one borehole was serving the town that has a population of over 2,500 people.