Sh100,000 reward offered for reporting cases of Guinea Worm

What you need to know:

Even though the last incidence of the ailment was reported in Kenya 20 years ago, there have been rumours of suspected cases in the country over the years.
Globally only four countries – Chad, Mali, Ethiopia and South Sudan are endemic for the disease.
The latter two border Kenya and are thus considered key transmission routes, especially due to the influx of refugees and other foreigners.

The Ministry of Health will issue a reward of sh100,000 for any Kenyan who reports a case of Guinea Worm Disease (GWD) in the country.

Symptoms of the disease include a blister on the leg, similar to the one that occurs when a person is burned by hot water or oil.

Once it bursts, creating a painful wound, a whitish thing (the guinea worm) can be seen wiggling about.

Even though the last incidence of the ailment was reported in Kenya 20 years ago, there have been rumours of suspected cases in the country over the years.

“So we want to be sure that we indeed don’t have any case before we declare that Kenya has eradicated the disease,” said Prof Njeri Wamae, head of the National Certification Committee on Guinea Worm Eradication.

She was speaking during on Wednesday during the launch of a countrywide Guinea Worm Disease awareness campaign dubbed ‘looking for the last guinea worm’.

Dr Custodia Mandlhate, the World Health Organization (WHO) country representative, noted that even though Kenya hasn’t witnessed a case for many years, health officials still need to be vigilant to prevent transmission from neighbouring affected countries.

Globally only four countries – Chad, Mali, Ethiopia and South Sudan are endemic for the disease. The latter two border Kenya and are thus considered key transmission routes, especially due to the influx of refugees and other foreigners.

The three month long campaign will mostly target people in former guinea worm disease hotspots such as Turkana, West Pokot and Trans-Nzoia that have in the past imported cases mainly from South Sudan.

“The target result is that over 70 per cent of these people will know about the disease and another 50 per cent from other parts of the country,” said Dr Judith Bwonya, senior deputy director of Health Services.

Awareness drive

The heightened awareness level is a requirement for any country before it can be certified as free of the disease by the International Dracunculiasis Certification Committee (ICCDE). Countries also have to show proof of no cases for approximately four to five years before receiving certification.

According to WHO, GWD is transmitted exclusively by drinking stagnant water contaminated with tiny water fleas that carry the worm's larva.

While inside the body, the larva matures into worms that grow up to a metre in length. Human beings are the only known reservoirs for the disease.

About one year after the infection, an excruciatingly painful blister forms (mostly on the leg) and one or more worms emerge accompanied by a burning sensation.

To soothe the burning pain, patients often immerse the infected area in water hence contaminating it and further infecting more people that consume the water.

Even though the disease does not kill, it causes immense pain and suffering to its victims, rendering them unproductive for months.

Health experts note that early case detection - when the patient feels the initial pain - is vital in containing spread of the disease.

The wound should be cleaned, disinfected and bandaged to protect it from further infections.

Health workers then begin the journey of pulling the worm from the wound – a few painful inches daily- until the worm finally comes out.