About seven thousand students and pupils from basic schools in the Nadowli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region have been sensitized to symptoms and negative effects of pneumococcal meningitis.
The month-long education campaign aims at equipping the students with the requisite knowledge on the disease so that they will be able to prevent its occurrence or its spread in their communities.
Radio Ghana’s Upper West Regional Correspondent Sualah Abdul-wahab reports that the campaign is carried out by a group known as Standup for Bagbin with support from the MP for the area Alban Bagbin.
Interacting with students and pupils of Duong Primary and Junior High schools at Duong as part of the sensitization, a Leader of the group Madam Florence Kpan said thirty schools are being targeted and that ninety-five percent of that has so far been covered.
She said meningitis is deadly if not detected early enough. Madam Florence asked the students to ensure that they have adequate ventilation in their rooms by opening the windows particularly in this dry season.
She said Mr. Bagbin who is also the Majority leader believes that health is wealth hence his decision to initiate the sensitization programme. A member of Standup for Bagbin Joseph Konnoba explained that the students and children are educated on the nature of the disease, mode of transfer, symptoms, prevention and spread.
He mentioned stiffness of the neck and the spinal cord, vomiting, severe headache, loss of appetite, general body weakness and yellowish palms and legs as some of the symptoms.
He advised them to drink a lot of water early in the morning and last before going to bed as well as eat more vegetables.
Some of the beneficiary students told Radio Ghana that they will also impact what they have learnt about the disease to their parents so as to prevent its occurrence in their communities.
Information from the Ghana Health Service indicates that pneumococcal Meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis. It is a serious disease that can cause high fatality rate but slow to spread.
A few weeks ago Ghanaians were gripped with fear when reports of cases of pneumococcal meningitis emerged from parts of the country leading to the death of several people.
It is for this reason that the MP for Nadowli-Kaleo Alban Bagbin in collaboration of Ghana Health Service initiated sensitization on the disease in the district.
–
Source: GBC