Five hundred Ghanaians are said to be at risk of trachoma blindness and require surgery. This was revealed at a briefing on progress made in the control of trachoma and challenges that confront its total eradication. The Deputy Minister of Health, Abraham Dwuma Odoom in a message identified trachoma as the leading cause of preventable blindness particularly in the Northern and Upper West Regions. The Upper East Region is however free of trachoma.
He said between 2000 and 2003, nearly one million people were in need of treatment against the disease. However as at the end of last year, Ghana had cleared over four thousand 542 cases with a backlog case of five thousand. The Deputy Minister was optimistic that with this achievement, blinding trachoma could be eliminated by 2010 as targeted. He said the control of trachoma requires a change in behaviour and environmental, sanitation than antibiotics and surgery. Mr. Dwuma Odoom commended the efforts of the district assemblies and NGOs for the provision of potable water to endemic communities and Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company for supporting the ministry with large quantities of antibiotics.
