By Prince J. Musa in Kenema
As part of efforts to end transmission of the tropical disease elephantiasis in Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, in partnership with Helen Keller International (HKI), has ended a two-day community awareness raising in two chiefdoms in Kenema District.
The awareness raising and sensitization exercise, according to officials, was designed to educate and build the confidence of community people ahead of a planned major testing exercise. The idea, they said, is to ensure that they do not misunderstand the exercise.
Addressing the local authorities at Levuma, Kandu Leppiama Chiefdom and Gofor in the Dama Chiefdom on the 5th and 6th October, the Program Director of Neglected Tropical Diseases at Helen Keller, Mustapha Sonie, noted that his organization had been supporting the Ministry of Health with drugs for people suffering from elephantiasis, commonly known as “Big Foot”.
“The only way to know if the disease has been completely eradicated is by doing test on people, which is sample test. Test will be conducted on people from five years and above to help know if the parasite is still living with people or not,” he said.
He added that a baseline survey conducted across the country in 2009 and 2017 revealed that there was an increase in the disease. Kenema District, he said, was among the affected areas.
Mr Sonie went on to note that the test will be conducted at chiefdom headquarter towns.
“Among the people that will be tested, if six of them show positive then the whole Kenema District has failed the test again. We are targeting three people at minimum, as simple diagnostic test to be conducted. This test is just like malaria test that is conducted on people. With two to three positives, then it’s under control,” he said.
Elephantiasis is caused by parasitic warms that dwell in the stomach of the host, and it can be transferred through mosquito bite from one person to another. It causes the enlargement and hardening of limbs or body parts due to tissue swelling.
“Out of 16 districts, we have stopped the transmission of the disease in eight districts, and only four districts remain now, and these are Kenema, Kailahun, Bombali and Koinadugu,” said Sonie.
The Paramount chief of Kandu Leppiama Chiefdom, PC Theresa Vibbi, expressed thanks and appreciation to Helen Keller international through the Ministry of Health for involving them in the process. She said that the section chief’s present would have to go back and tell their town chiefs to make sure that people come for the test to know their status.
“We will encourage our people to come and do the test since this is not the first time to do this test in this chiefdom,” she said.
The head of surveillance in Kenema, Mohamed Koroma, noted that they wanted to eradicate elephantiasis and focus on other preventable diseases in the country.
“We want our people not to attribute this test to any other thing, as people may go with the idea that it’s a COVID test,” he said.
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