Community Tackles Guinea Worm In Ebonyi

The provision of boreholes in Okposhi-Umuoghara community in Ezza North Local Government Area of of Ebonyi has helped to stamp out guinea worm infection, the villages say.

Some of the villagers told newsmen at Okposhi that the disease had been controlled since the introduction of the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) in the state. CSDP is a community driven development strategy of government to enhance poverty reduction and growth in rural communities. The project is assisted by the World Bank and co-financed by the Federal Government and 27 participating states.

CSDP released N6.4 million for the construction of 11 boreholes in the community, while the community contributed N715,000 as their counterpart funding for the project. The borehole project, which commenced in January, had been put to use since April. Mr Christian Mgbada, Chairman of the local committee of the project, told newsnmen that the community  was made up of 19 villages.

He said that prior to the erection of the boreholes, the villagers used and drank from two guinea worm infested ponds for many years. “All the villagers drank from Okpuru Ohumbeze and Okpuru Inyima, dirty and unfit sources of water all these years until this opportunity came,” he said.