Ethiopia is working to become a Guinea worm-free country by next year, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
In a joint press briefing Dr. Dadi Jimma, Deputy Director-General of Ethiopian Public Health Institute, and Country Representative of Carter Center Ethiopia Dr. Zerihun Tadesse gave on the current status of Guinea worm today, only two persons are at present suffering from the disease.
In 2016, two confirmed cases were reported in Gambella Regional State.
They said the number of persons that had Guinea worm-disease in Ethiopia was over 20,000 some 20 years ago.
Consolidated efforts by the government, the World Health Organization and Carter Center as well as the public are factors that contributed to the fall in the spread of the disease, Dr. Dadi indicated.
Places with lower accessibility for basic health services, in particularly Gambella and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Regional states, are still venerable to the parasitic disease, the Country Representative of Carter Center Ethiopia stated.
According to Dr. Zerihun, water treatment activities are underway in parts of Gambella and SNNP regional states to prevent the disease.
The media were on the occasion urged to play active role in making the public aware about the disease and encouraging them to inform cases.
Guinea-worm disease is caused by a round worm called Dracunculias Medinesia and it is transmitted when a person drinks water contaminated by the larvae of the worm.
By Ethiopia News Agency
