The Filariasis team at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has conducted a foot-care hygiene workshop for over 190 healthcare personnel from Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds in the Kassena Nankana East Municipal and Kassena Nankana West district.

This second training session was organized based on research findings demonstrating the effectiveness of foot care in elephantiasis management.

The training aimed to equip healthcare personnel to serve as trainers for community health volunteers and individuals affected by elephantiasis.

The workshop focused on practical approaches to morbidity management, ensuring healthcare personnel are prepared to provide quality care.

 

 

Professor Alex Yaw Debrah, Principal Investigator and Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, emphasized the importance of continuous education for healthcare workers. He noted that regular training sessions are necessary to maintain high standards of patient care, especially due to staff transfers and new recruitments since the first workshop in 2021.

 

 

Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Batsa Debrah, Co-Principal Investigator of the Filariasis Project, led participants through training on morbidity management. She explained disease transmission, highlighting mosquitoes as vectors. She also cited previous research showing foot hygiene reduces pain attacks, improves leg conditions, and enhances quality of life, as a key factor in organizing the training.

 

 

Felicia Angabe, Municipal Disease Control Officer, Kasena Nankana Municipal, expressed appreciation for the training. "Today is a great day because I was part of the foot hygiene training. I have gained a lot of experience. Most of us didn’t know much about this, but now that we know how to practice foot hygiene, it will go a long way to help us manage cases," she said.