EVALUATION OF GUINEA WORM ERADICATION PROGRAMME IN EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

This study was aimed at evaluating the Nigeria Guinea Worm Eradication Programme in Ebonyi State Nigeria. Six research questions and one hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. The descriptive survey research design was used. The sample for the study was 398 respondents purposively selected from Ebonyi state (277 from two rural areas and 111 from Abakiliki urban). A 40 item questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha method and reliability co-efficient of 0.97 indicating high reliability of the instrument was established, Mean score and grand mean were used to answer the research question; while t-test statistics was used to test the hypothesis at .05 level of significance and 1.96 critical values. The findings of the study indicate that Nigerian Guinea worm Eradication programme (NIGEP), carried on health education, provided safe drinking water, supplied filters, treated eligible ponds with abate chemical, contained cases and carried out surveillance on guinea worm in Ebonyi State to a great extent. Consequently, recommendations were made including that NIGEP should intensify case containment strategy and active surveillance throughout Ebonyi State to guard against importation of guinea worm disease, until the entire endemic countries are certified free from the disease.