Strategies for Scabies Prevention & Control Plan to be Developed
A National Workshop on Scabies Prevention and Control mainly organized by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) along with the Amhara Region Public Health Institute (APHI) aiming to strengthen technical working group at all levels, improve early detection, surveillance and reporting activities and create attention to the neglected scabies diseases, identify the right, long lasting and sustainable intervention measures, work together to end the outbreak of scabies, develop sense of ownership on prevention and control of scabies at all levels and also control the occurrence of outbreak has started on April 5, 2019 in Bahir Dar town and will until April 6, 2019.
Dr. Gizachew Yismaw Director General of APHI and also representing the Amhara Regional Health Bureau while making his welcoming speech indicated that scabies is known to be one of the oldest diseases in Ethiopia, however still it is a question why it is not still eradicated. The Director also expressed his belief that at the end of the workshop there will be a proceeding which reports the recommendations and suggestions to eradicate scabies from Ethiopia.
EPHI’s Public Health Emergency Management Center (cPHEM) A. Director Dr. Feyissa Regassa in his opening speech mentioned that scabies has become a public health threat with increasing trend since 2015.
“I strongly believe that this meeting will put the way forward and invaluable recommendations that can help the country to practically tackle the problem, and eliminate scabies from Ethiopia in the near future,” added Dr. Feyissa and also announced the official opening of the workshop.
According to the data presented by Yibeyin Mulualem who is from EPHI’s cPHEM and also organizer of the workshop the reported cases of scabies in Ethiopia as of 2018 indicates that 41% from Amhara, 29% from Oromiya, 23% from the Southern South Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State, 4% from Addis Ababa, 2% from Tigray and 1% from Dire Dawa.
