The Wa East District is making progress in its guinea worm eradication programme as the district recorded only 12 cases of the debilitating waterborne disease in 2007 as against 64 cases the previous year. The number of guinea worm cases recorded in the district in 2005 was 260 cases. Mr Joseph Bolibie, Wa East District Director of Health Services, made this known at the annual performance review meeting of the Wa East District Health Administration held at Funsi. He said the district started making progress in the guinea worm eradication programme since 2006 and that the district was presently ranked the second best performing district after the Pru District in Brong-Ahafo Region. Mr Bolibie identified the common diseases in the district as malaria, upper respiratory tract infections, diarrhoea due to lack of potable water, acute eye infections, skin diseases and anaemia among children. Mr Zakaria Salifu Yakubu, the Wa East District Coordinating Director, said the lack of electricity in the district was impeding the implementation of a small town water system for Funsi. This is affecting the acceptance of personnel posted to the district and urged the authorities to put pressure on Messrs China International Water and Electric Corporation, awarded the contract to extend power from the national grid to Funsi since August last year, to speed up work. Source: GNA