UHAS holds stakeholders meeting on schistosomiasis
The Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases (CNTD) of the Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ho and the Volta River Authority (VRA) have held a stakeholders meeting in the Lower Volta Basin for dissemination and intervention mapping of research on schistosomiasis disease control.
The meeting, which was held under the auspices of the Principal Investigator, Prof. John Owusu Agyapong, was entitled “Implementation research to improve schistosomiasis control in affected communities in the Lower Volta Basin”.
The project meeting was to share the progress of the schistosomiasis study conducted by CNTD of UHAS in collaboration with VRA, across three districts: Shai-Osudoku in the Greater Accra Region, South Tongu in the Volta Region and Asuogyaman in the Eastern Region, in order to implement enhanced strategies resulting in improved mass drug administration (MDA) and reduce the disease prevalence.
Stakeholders
Key stakeholders included the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the National Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Control Programme, World Vision, Water Aid Ghana, Geohydro Tracks Limited, Department for International Development (DFID), Safe Water, Easy Water, Project Maji, PurAID, Volta River Estate Limited and CSIR Water Research Institute, among others.
The Director of Research for CNTD of UHAS, Dr Alfred Kwesi Manyeh, presenting the key findings, lauded the VRA, GHS, the district assemblies in the affected communities in the three districts, chiefs, opinion leaders and all other stakeholders involved in the project for the various roles they played in coming out with the findings which was going to enhance the control of schistosomiasis disease in the affected communities along the Lower Volta Basin.
Specific objectives
Dr Manyeh said the project had five specific objectives for the two years of research, which was to document schistosomiasis control intervention within communities along the Volta Basin; assess the levels of knowledge attitudes and practices towards schistosomiasis and its control strategies within communities along the Volta Basin and to determine community and health system factors affecting schistosomiasis control strategies in communities along the Volta Basin.
It was also to develop and pilot context-specific interventions based on pre-intervention findings towards the reduction of schistosomiasis infection in endemic communities along the Volta Basin and to evaluate the progress and impact of the evidence-based strategies on levels of knowledge, attitudes, practices and prevalence of schistosomiasis.
He said some of the key findings during the period included unavailability of schistosomiasis medication (praziquantel) in health facilities, poor knowledge about schistosomiasis infection, prevention and control, the nature of work of women, which exposed them to schistosomiasis, and the maintenance of solar-powered boreholes, which supplied water due to inconsistent pipe water supply, among others.
Dr Manyeh noted that as a result of the interventions, there was improved social mobilisation and sensitisation, improved adherence to the directly observed therapy (DOT) strategy, and there was also reduction in schistosomiasis in the communities.
VRA schistosomiasis projects
The Principal Research Officer for VRA, Elizabeth Kisson, named some VRA schistosomiasis projects across the length and breadth of the affected communities along the Lower Volta Basin, which included toilet facilities, water projects for communities such as Volivo, Mafikope, Volivo Lanor, Atabui, Avakpo, Tokpo and Abuvienu, among others.
She mentioned chemotherapy, snail control, environmental management, health education and social mobilisation, sanitation and access to safe water as recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as preventive measures, as well as the use of praziquantel for the treatment of all forms of schistosomiasis.
The Director, Environment and Sustainable Development Department of VRA, Benjamin Arhin Sackey, in his address, was not happy about the state of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities provided by VRA to the schistosomiasis communities, as most of them were in a deteriorated state.
The immediate past Director of the Institute of Health, UHAS, Ho, Prof. Margaret Gyapong, who chaired the programme, urged all stakeholders in the affected communities, as well as implementors of the research findings, to ensure they implemented the findings to get the best benefits from the resources invested in the project.
