• Alhaji Tahiru Moomin addressing the gathering

Guided by the causes and symptoms of a devastating desease which had claimed many lives in the past, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Tahiru Moomin has asked residents of the Upper West Region to stay safe to avoid contracting cerebro­spinal meningitis (CSM)

Addressing the 66th Independence Day parade at Wa, the MCE said with the advent of the hot season in the region, it was necessary for residents to stay in ventilated areas, avoid over crowded and se­cluded rooms with unbearable heat to remain healthy.

“I wish to advise residents to avoid direct contact with people who are sneezing or coughing since you cannot tell what virus that per­son is carrying; more importantly, we can revisit the wearing of nose marks in crowded areas to avoid contracting CSM,” he advised.

He called on chiefs, assembly and unit committee members to support the Ghana Health Service by sensitising their people to the devastating impact of the CSM as well as practical ways to protect themselves from the disease and infected persons.

He reminded residents to report to health facilities if they felt un­well so that they would be screened and treated on time.

Touching on security issues in the region, Alhaji Moomin appealed to the various traditional authorities across the region to take steps in resolving chieftaincy and ethnic conflicts bedeviling communities in order to prevent them from escalat­ing.

“We hear of chieftaincy, ethnic and land disputes and conflicts stretching from the north to the south and limiting the development of the country, therefore, I would appeal to the authorities concerned to promptly help to resolve the conflicts and sustain peace and unity within the municipality and the country at large,” he said.

He lamented that conflicts inter ­fered with the development of the area and called for a collaborative effort towards achieving a united front for development.

Cerebrospinal meningitis is an infectious and fatal inflammation of the meninges of both brain and spinal cord which is normally caused by a virus.

The infectious disease is very pronounced during the dry season in the region when atmospheric tem­perature was high and associated with symptoms such as fever, pain or stiffness in the neck and numbness.

 From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa