Buruli Ulcer cases in Dormaa municipality up

Suspected Buruli Ulcer (BU) cases in Dormaa Municipality rose from 26 in 2010 to 49 in 2011.

Madam Florence Iddrisah, Municipal Health Director, who announced this during her outfit’s annual performance review meeting at Dormaa-Ahenkro, noted that stakeholders , including MAP Ghana, non -governmental organisation(NGO), were locked up in strenuous efforts to ensure early detection of the disease.

She announced that the NGO has drilled one borehole each for Danyame and Kwadwo Kumikrom to improve the potable water availability in the two farming communities.

She said MAP-Ghana has also offered to sponsor all Buruli Ulcer patients in the Municipality to undergo skin grafting adding that the NGO had already sponsored the restoration of the skin of a 15-year-old who had stopped schooling due to the disease.

Madam Iddrisah said the NGO has also supported her outfit’s efforts by providing relevant Buruli ulcer drugs as well as non-drug supplies and equipment towards the treatment and upkeep of patients of the disease.

She commended the NGO for its support and appealed to families, health volunteers, traditional and religious leaders and school authorities to assist the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to access such cases in time as their early detection could off-set complications and possible amputation.

The Municipal Director urged society not to stigmatize carriers of the ulcer but rather give them the necessary support to lead more meaningful lives.

She stressed that though there was no known cause for Buruli Ulcer, medical experts were of the opinion that it could have something to do with filthy and muddy water bodies as most of the cases tended to emanate from such water bodies.

“It is therefore important for us parents to control our children’s contact with dirty water bodies to stop them from catching Buruli Ulcer and other water borne diseases” the Municipal Health Director stressed.

Source: GNA