The Prevalence of Buruli Ulcer and its Effect on Human Development in Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipality, Eastern Region

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to determine the perceived causes of Buruli ulcer disease from both sufferers and non-suffers in Nsawam Adoagyiri municipality, to analyse how the disease affected human health in the area, and to elicit responses, from both sufferers and nonsufferers, on measures that could be taken to reduce human suffering and impacts from the disease. A simple random sampling method of data collection was used to select 193 respondents from the area, consisting of sufferers and non-sufferers of the disease, as well as medical personnel offering care to patients at the government health centres. Sufferers indicated that drinking and using contaminated water for domestic household activities was the most important cause of the disease.Non-sufferers, who were not medical personnel, suggested that the most important cause of the disease was through contraction from the environment due to swampy nature of the area and the possibility of worms or insects being the carrier or the mode of spread of the disease. However, non-sufferers, who were medical personnel, asserted that the most important cause of the disease was poor personal hygienic practices. In terms of health and welfare effects, the majority of sufferers indicated that the disease had limited their ability to perform tasks in their community.The main factor influencing treatment expenditures was the income of the sufferer with richer sufferers spending more on expenditures to treat the disease. Another significant factor was the unemployment status of the sufferer with unemployed people spending less than employed people to treat the disease. Several suggestions were provided by the three groups of respondents to government to deal with the disease. The most important suggestions to the government included the provision of medicine to treat the disease, information to prevent people from acquiring the disease, and encouragement of early reporting of symptoms of the disease at medical centres for treatment.