The Ghana Health Service (GHS) will roll out a nationwide integrated Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign from June 20 to July 10 as part of efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as a public health threat by 2030.
The campaign will target millions of people in districts affected by Bilharzia, Elephantiasis, and River Blindness.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, June 17, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, identified poor sanitation, environmental pollution, and unsafe water sources as key factors hindering the country’s progress in eliminating the diseases.
While stressing the importance of preventive medication, Dr. Kaba Akoriyea noted that long-term success would require more than medical interventions alone.
“When you take into consideration sanitation, water, and environmental issues, we contribute to the resurgence and spread of these diseases,” he said. “These diseases have to be looked at from a One Health approach. Our environment, our actions and inactions all influence their spread.”
Neglected tropical diseases continue to affect some of the country’s most vulnerable populations, contributing to disability, stigma, reduced productivity, and economic hardship. The Ghana Health Service noted that the diseases can disrupt education, lower household incomes, and slow community development.
River blindness, which is transmitted through the bites of infected black flies that breed near fast-flowing rivers and streams, remains endemic in 149 districts across Ghana. Although interventions implemented since 1997 have significantly reduced the disease burden, 86 districts still require mass drug administration.
According to Dr. Kaba Akoriyea, Ghana has made substantial progress in combating elephantiasis, with transmission interrupted in 114 endemic districts. Only a small number of districts continue to require treatment interventions.
Bilharzia, however, remains a significant public health concern in many communities due to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities. The disease is contracted through contact with contaminated water and can cause blood in urine or stool, anaemia, stunted growth in children, and severe reproductive health complications in women.
As part of the upcoming campaign, approximately 6.7 million people are expected to receive treatment in the 86 river blindness-endemic districts spread across 15 regions.
Treatment for elephantiasis will target about 266,000 people in two endemic districts, while community deworming exercises against bilharzia will be conducted in 13 districts across eight regions, reaching nearly one million people.
Dr. Kaba Akoriyea assured the public that the medicines to be administered have been used safely for many years and are endorsed by the World Health Organization.
“These medications are safe, effective, and vital in protecting families from river blindness, elephantiasis, and bilharzia,” he said.
He explained that trained health workers and community volunteers would conduct house-to-house visits during the campaign period to administer the medicines free of charge to eligible individuals.
The Director-General called on community leaders, teachers, religious leaders, parents, and media organisations to support public education efforts and encourage participation in the exercise.
He stressed that eliminating the diseases would require collective commitment and sustained action from all stakeholders.
“We have to put in extraordinary efforts to find those few cases left so that we can confidently say we have eliminated these diseases. That remains our target,” Dr. Kaba Akoriyea stated.
The Ghana Health Service maintains that sustained community participation, improved sanitation, access to clean water, and environmental protection will be crucial to achieving Ghana’s goal of eliminating neglected tropical diseases by 2030.
