Prevalence of Buruli Ulcer Among Residents in Jasikan Municipality: A Cross-Sectional Study

Buruli ulcer is one of the neglected tropical diseases in the world. The mode of transmission and source reservoirs of Mycobacterium ulcerans are still largely unknown. The first probable case of Buruli ulcer in Ghana was reported in the Greater Accra Region in 1971. The prevalence of the disease in the Jasikan Municipality is unknown. GENERAL AIM: The study was conducted to assess the prevalence of Buruli ulcer among residents in Jasikan Municipality. METHODS: The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design. A simple random sampling method was used to select respondents. A sample of 56 cases of Buruli ulcer was identified from the population. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was administered. Data collected were entered into EpiData Manager version 4.0.2.101 and exported to Stata version 14.1 for analysis at a significance level of p<0.05 at a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The prevalence of the disease was determined to be 8.0 per 10,000 population. CONCLUSIONS: Buruli ulcer was found to be high among the population. RECOMMENDATION: The surveillance officers should provide health education to improve residents’ awareness of Buruli ulcer in the study setting.