Health workers in Ghana are worried that the public reluctance to properly use mosquito nets is thwarting the fight against elephantiasis. Elephantiasis, also known as lymphatic filariasis, is a parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. It causes severe swelling and enlargement of body parts, most commonly the limbs, leading to disability and disfigurement.
The disease affects over 120 million people worldwide, with Africa being the most affected region. In Ghana, the Upper East Region recorded the highest number of elephantiasis cases of 2,373, accounting for about a third of the total national cases.
Bright Alomatu, Desk Officer for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) program of the Ghana Health Service, said one of the key prevention strategies for elephantiasis is the use of mosquito nets, particularly during sleep.
“The parasites are picked by the mosquitos and so, as we give the medicines, we kill the parasite so the mosquito will bite and will not get some to pick. And again, the mosquito net usage also prevents the mosquito from even biting to pick it from you and give it to another person or if the mosquito is coming with infection from somebody, it will not reach you to give it to you”, he stated.
Mosquito nets are treated with insecticides that repel and kill mosquitoes, reducing the chances of being bitten and infected with the parasites. When used consistently and correctly, mosquito nets can significantly reduce the transmission of elephantiasis disease and malaria cases.
Sadly, Mr. Alomatu is worried that whereas the government of Ghana and donor partners are spending huge sums of money to procure the nets, some individuals deliberately refused to sleep under them.
Mr. Alomatu who spoke exclusively to A1 Radio’s Joshua Asaah lamented that some individuals are also using mosquito nets to fence their gardens instead of using them for the intended purpose. An act, he said, thwarts the effort to curb the spread of elephantiasis and malaria cases in the country
“It is a worry that people collect the nets and do not use them for the intended purposes. Some use them for gardening and other things. It is a big worry because the nets are procured at huge costs and people collect them and are not using them, and therefore, the efforts that we are putting in to interrupt the transmission of elephantiasis and even malaria is a big worry”
Bright Alomatu said even though all 15 municipalities and districts of the Upper East Region are endemic, health workers have been able to stop the spread of elephantiasis in the region.
He was speaking on a sideline of a stakeholder’s sensitization, held in Bolgatanga to adopt measures to advocate on addressing concerns confronting patients of the disease. The day’s engagement was realised through support from the Ghana Health Service, American Leprosy Mission, and the Christian Connection for International Health.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
