More than 300 people in the Wenchi Municipality of the Bono Region have tested positive for elephantiasis, raising concerns among health authorities about the spread of the disease in the area.

The revelation was made by Vera Serwaa Opoku, a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), during the 2025 Annual Health Performance Review organised by the Wenchi Municipal Health Directorate.

Speaking to Obaapa Nana Yaa Kaakyire after the programme, Dr. Opoku disclosed that a total of 4,954 people were screened during the exercise, out of which 328 tested positive for elephantiasis.

“A total of 4,954 people were screened and 328 tested positive for the disease,” she said.

She explained that elephantiasis, medically known as Lymphatic Filariasis, is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

“The disease is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes,” Dr. Opoku stated.

Dr. Opoku therefore advised residents to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of infection.

“To avoid elephantiasis, people must protect themselves from mosquito bites,” she advised, urging the public to use insecticide-treated mosquito nets, particularly during the evening and early morning hours when mosquitoes are most active.

She also encouraged residents to remove stagnant water around their homes, noting that such areas serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and increase the risk of infection.

Sompaonline.com/Nana Yaa Kaakyire