Date: 2017-11-10 19:51:31 ID: 1753
Bougouni, Mali, 9 November 2017 – Within the framework of implementation of the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Sahel, the Director General of the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) participated this Thursday 9 November 2017 in the official launch of the hydrocele surgery camp in the health Districts of Kolondieba and Bougouni. The launch took place at the Bougouni Referral Health Centre.
Participating in the ceremony were the prefect and the mayor of Bougouni, traditional chiefs, administrative authorities, health workers of the districts of Kolondieba and Bougouni, the people of Bougouni and the representative of the Minister of health and public hygiene of Mali.
In his speech, the Director General of WAHO, Dr Xavier CRESPIN, recalled the negative impact of lymphatic filariasis, both economically and socially, for the individual suffering from the disease and for the entire society.
For him, “controlling these diseases should be considered as the pivot of our concerted efforts in combating poverty”. It is therefore for the purpose of combating poverty that the World Bank decided to fund the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases project, with WAHO responsible for the regional coordination, indicated Dr CRESPIN.
He continued by providing some satisfactory results achieved by the three project beneficiary countries, which are Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, within the framework of controlling neglected tropical diseases, and more specifically in Mali. Indeed, with the rate of treatment coverage of 80% during the 2017 season of mass treatment, more than 14 million treatments were distributed in the three countries covered by the project, out of which more than 3,600,000 were in Mali.
The director general reiterated WAHO’s commitment to support countries to develop community medical service, in order to bring the best specialists as well as the best equipment closer to the patients, whatever their geographical location may be.
Dr CRESPIN indicated that this commitment translates into the management of some reversible complications from lymphatic filariasis such as lymphoedema, elephantiasis, and especially hydrocele, in addition to Mass Treatment (M) within the framework of the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases project.
The Bougouni and Kolondieba hydrocele camps constitute one of the testimonies of this commitment, he emphasised. The general objective of the camps, which started on 6 November and ended on 13 November 2017, is to provide free treatment of at least 165 cases of hydroceles in the Sikasso region.
These camps are also an opportunity to sensitise the population, the authorities, opinion leaders, traditional medical practitioners on the causes of hydrocele; build the capacity of local surgical teams on the WHO directives (hydrocele surgery technique); foster the sharing of experience by a regional team of experts in surgery from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The DG/WAHO concluded his speech by calling on traditional leaders, opinion leaders, and the entire population of the two districts to take advantage of the completely free treatment provided.
The technical Adviser to the Minister, Dr KONE Brahima, who represented the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, presented the epidemiological situation of NTD in Mali and the principal measures and strategies implemented for the elimination of these diseases. Among these strategies, priority is given to hydrocele surgery. He thanked WAHO for having decided to support the Sikasso region and Mali for the treatment of hydrocele cases. Before declaring the surgery camps open for the management of hydrocele cases, Dr KONE also congratulated and encouraged the Experts from Burkina Faso and Niger for their invaluable support.