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Ghana: Rocky Dawuni Joins Fight Against Guinea Worm
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Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)
7 March 2008
Posted to the web 7 March 2008
Edmond Gyebi
Tamale
The Reggae Maestro, Rocky Dawuni has joined the fight against Guinea Worm, which has within the last few years, brought untold hardships on the people in the Northern Region, especially farmers and other rural poor.
Ghana is the second most endemic guinea worm country in the world, after Sudan, and the Northern Region alone accounted for 96% of total cases reported in the country, within the last two years, with Savelugu, Tolon-Kumbungu and the Tamale metropolis, being the first, second and third endemic districts respectively.
Rocky Dawuni, through his non-governmental organisation (NGO), Africa Alive, with support from UNICEF and the Guinea Worm Eradication Programme (GWEP) Secretariat of the Ghana Health Services (GHS), has embarked on an advocacy tour of the three most endemic districts, being Savelugu, Tolon-Kumbungu and Tamale.
In those areas, the Reggae Star, together with his industrious wife, Cary Sullivan, visited the people in their homes, engaged them in one-on-one interactions, and educated them on the need to adopt behavioural change.
Though reports from the Northern Regional GWEP Secretariat suggests that Ghana is gradually winning the fight against the epidemic, some communities in the region, particularly Wantugu in the Tolon District, are still facing serious water problems, as human beings, after 51 years of independence, still drink from the same water source as animals.
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Rocky Dawuni and his wife almost shed tears, after seeing cattle and other livestock struggling for water with the people.
Meanwhile, it is believed that guinea worm cases have reduced by 85% in Ghana. Therefore, government needs to prioritize the provision of good drinking water, in both affected and unaffected communities, to bring success to the GWEP officers.
However, Rocky, together with other local musicians, will stage a show in the new Tamale Stadium to educate the people on the Guinea Worm disease.
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