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Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have denied reports of a guinea worm scare in the Upper West Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region.

A joint press statement issued on behalf of the Director-General of GHS, Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, by the head of Public Relations, Madam Rebecca Ackwonu, said a team was constituted to visit the said communities after reports broke about a guinea worm scare in the municipality.

After interactions with the chiefs and people of the community, as well as the assemblyman and health workers, it was found out that there was no case of guinea worm.

It was also revealed that neither has there been a case nor history of guinea worm infection in the community, therefore the community is not prone to guinea worm.

There is also a CHPS Zone with two Community Health Nurses. There are no medical records or any reported case of guinea worm at the zone.

It was, however, noted that there is no CBS Volunteer, though there are community health workers in the village and sources of drinking water are mainly pipe-borne and a protected well, but sometimes the community drinks from an unprotected dam.

Also, there were guinea worm case searches in the previous years but no such record in the past five years.

The statement again reminded the public to report any sign of guinea worm to the nearest health facility for a cash reward of GH¢200.

Ghana was declared 'Guinea Worm-Free' in January this year following interventions that led to the total eradication of the disease.