The Nigerien health authorities aspire to eradicate dracunculiasis or Guinea worm before 2010 throughout the country where 3 cases of the disease have been recorded since 2008 including one from Mali.
Niger’s dracunculiasis control strategy is based on widespread hygiene practices coupled with rewards to the informants i.e. the patient and the community worker taking care of the case, the national program coordinator to eradicate Guinea worm Oumarou Harou told the press.
“The state is advocating for the creation of wells and boreholes in villages. We hope that this crippling disease will be eradicated to zero cases this year. We could stop transmission by December 2009 if all recorded cases contaminate no source of water,” he said.
Statistics available from health authorities report the reduction rate of cases stand at 99.99% in 99.82% localities.
Guinea worm patients and people accompanying them are paid once isolated and hospitalized in a specialized center.
They each receive CFA 2,000 daily for their support, the program manager said.
A disabling disease caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis (Medina filarial or Guinea worm), guinea worm affected some 3.5 million people worldwide in 1986, against only 25,000 in 2006.
A survey conducted in 1991 throughout the territory registered 33,000 cases in 1700 villages in the regions of Dosso, Maradi, Tahoua, Zinder and Tillaberi.
Thus, Niger, like other Guinea worm endemic countries, has pledged to eliminate the disease by the end of 2009 through the Public Health Ministry and in collaboration with its technical and financial partners, Harou said.
According to health experts, more than half the world’s dracunculiasis cases are recorded in Sudan, but Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Togo are also affected.
Source African Press Agency
