Yaws in Ghana

The final results of a three-year campaign against yaws in the Republic of Ghana, which was introduced in an attempt to reduce an unusually high prevalence, are summarized. The campaign started in January 1981 and officially ended in December 1983. Serious economic and technical constraints slowed the progress of work after the first year and reduced the total population covered. In spite of the shortcomings, the program provided penicillin treatment to 77,818 patients with active yaws (4.04% of those examined during the campaign) as well as chemoprophylaxis for an additional 1,556,360 contacts. The campaign staff compiled detailed information on the epidemiology of yaws in Ghana. A second attack phase using simple equipment and vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles could be implemented with greater efficiency and could reduce costs.