The Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Sunday began a nationwide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) exercise to fight onchocerciasis (river blindness), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), and schistosomiasis (bilharzia).

The exercise, which seeks to control the spread of the three Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), will cover 79 onchocerciasis-endemic districts in 15 regions, targeting about 6.3 million people from now to September 20.

Thirteen districts in eight out of the 15 regions will benefit from the community deworming against schistosomiasis.

The Director-General of the GHS, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, at a media briefing, said the MDA formed part of efforts to eliminate the NTDs by 2030 in line with global targets.

He said the safe and effective medicines would be administered by trained community volunteers and health professionals to all eligible individuals from age five and above.

Prof. Akoriyea said Ghana had made progress against lymphatic filariasis, with transmission interrupted in 113 out of 116 endemic districts.

Onchocerciases, he noted, remained endemic in 149 districts, while schistosomiasis continued to threaten children and women in communities with poor sanitation and unsafe water sources in almost all districts of Ghana.

The Director-General urged the public to fully participate in the exercise, stressing that controlling NTDs was critical to reducing poverty and improving public health.

“The burden of NTDs is low, but we are not out of the woods yet, let’s all get ourselves to be part of this exercise to eliminate these diseases in our communities,” he said.

Dr Joseph Larbi Opare, the NTDs Programme Manager, said the GHS has successfully ensured a reduction in the number of elephantiasis endemic districts from 116 to two, representing about 98 per cent progress towards eliminating the disease nationwide.

For Onchocerciasis, Dr Opare said recent studies showed that the parasitic load was now less than five per cent in endemic areas, with some districts recording zero prevalence.

He encouraged the public to cooperate with health workers and volunteers during the exercise.

Mr David Agyemang, the Country Director of Sightsavers, a non-governmental organisation, appealed to the government and all stakeholders to support efforts in mobilising funds for the elimination of NTDs.

He called on the Government and stakeholders to continuously support NTD elimination initiatives to avoid retrogression.

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