22 April 2021 – Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) is a parasitic disease contracted by drinking-water contaminated with the infected intermediate hosts of the parasite, called Cyclops. The full-grown guinea worm begins to migrate throughout the infected person's body within about a year after ingestion. Sudan is at pre-certification stage and the last country in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region to be certified free of dracunculiasis transmission.
On 12 April 2021, the WHO country office in Sudan, with the Federal Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Religious Affairs launched the “Sudan Khali Mein El Ferendit" campaign to raise and spread awareness and report rumours at the start of Ramadan as continued efforts to achieve Guinea worm disease-free certification status for Sudan in 2021.
A nationwide cash reward is being offered for the voluntary reporting of dracunculiasis cases. The amount of the reward is 50 000 SDG: 20 000 SDG for the patient, 20 000 SDG for the informant and 10 000 SDG for the health worker. Also, a hotline has been activated to report if someone has seen a case of guinea-worm disease in Sudan to call 1382 or report to the nearest health facility immediately.
To achieve the certification criteria for Guinea worm disease-free and to raise awareness among the general population, including formerly endemic states, an advocacy workshop with imams from 17 states was conducted in which more than 44 people actively participated and committed to ensuring that awareness-raising messages would be delivered during Friday prayers and disseminated to the local communities. IEC materials, including public information leaflets and Guinea worm disease ID cards, were also distributed during the workshop.
