Yaws in rural Accra

Thanks to a yaws control programme launched in Ghana in 1956, yaws morbidity decreased to below 0.2% in all the Regions of Ghana except the Eastern Region and some districts of the Western Region by 1962. However, there has since been progressive growth in yaws morbidity up to a present level of 0.6%, and this trend, should it continue, causes concern. Questionnaire forms were used to collect data on three most heavily affected villages and were completed for 20% of the adult population (above 15 years of age). Doubtful cases were referred to the author for verification directly, but the author also checked all evident cases detected by local examiners. Out of a total population of 1641, 443 persons were examined and given questionnaires. It was evident that the majority of the respondents (about 90%) were families with yaws; most of them had seen the disease but did not know its cause. Out of the 443 respondents, 235 (53%) said the cause was not known to them, 154 (34.7%) said it was dirt and 54 (12.2%) attributed yaws to a natural cause. The majority of the respondents were in agreement that, no matter what its cause, the disease can be transmitted by social contact. Yaws control programmes should be included in primary health programmes, so that the pertinent sanitary instruction, epidemiological surveillance and treatment could be freed of their heavy dependence on transport.