The country is confronted with yet another health emergency as an outbreak of Yaws, locally known as “Jator”, has engulfed Tsledom, a deprived community in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, in the Eastern Region.
The disease is fast spreading in the entire community, with more than 50 per cent of the population, both young and old, having sores all over their bodies.
Yaws, a chronic infectious disease that is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, hand shake and hug, has been with us for decades.
Unfortunately, it is one of the world’s neglected tropical infectious diseases, which occurs mainly in poor communities in warm, humid and tropical areas, including Ghana, and majority of people affected are children under 15 years of age.
The country recorded a total of 28,000 cases of the disease outbreak in 2008, trending a pattern from 1970, according to statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Between 2008 and 2012, the country recorded a total of 9,356 similar cases with mass immunisation measures put in place by the government to eradicate the disease among the population.
But, Yaws, a debilitating disease that can disfigure the body and make the infected person disabled for life if not well treated, has raised its ugly head again.
The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Disease Control Officer, Mr Solomon Ohene Gyabaa, confirmed the outbreak of the disease in Tsledom, as reported by Ghanaian Times, in its Saturday, July 20, 2019, issue.
He said his outfit received a complaint through the School Health Education Programme Coordinator of Tsledom MA Basic School, and sample test on 25 children of the educational institution proved positive of the disease.
Mr Gyabaa indicated that Yaws is fast spreading among students due to body contacts, and unhygienic living condition in the area, particularly in the homes of children.
This can have more serious health implications for a community that lacks health facilities, such as Community-based Planning and Services compound, for residents to access early treatment of diseases.
Though the GHS has dispelled fears over the outbreak of the disease in Tsledom, the situation is uncertain, because recent reported cases are yet to be confirmed by health authorities.
However, Dr Mrs Nana Konama Kotey, Programme Manager, National Buruli, Ulcer Control and Yaws Eradication Programme, said her outfit is considering taking delivery of antibiotic azithromycin next month for pilot distribution in selected districts in the country, as part of initiatives or roadmap to eliminate Yaws in the country in accordance with WHO targets.
Despite this assurance, the Programme Manager has cautioned that Ghana is likely to miss the 2020 WHO target of eradicating Yaws, due to limited resources channelled to the control of other neglected tropical diseases.
It, therefore, behoves individuals and corporate entities and organisations to support the campaign against Yaws with logistics and funds, to scale up interventions in endemic areas.
We are happy that a team of health officials from the municipality last Monday carried out mass injection, dispensary exercise and distributed anti-biotic drugs to students and residents of Tsledom, infected with Yaws.
But, since self-preservation is the best way to ensure safety, we advice the people, particularly children, to adopt good hygienic practices and drink clean water, to reduce the risk of contracting Yaws.
