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By Christabel Addo, RNG
Accra, July 27, GNA – The Ghana Health
Program on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NDS) of the Service (GHS) would undertake a
National Mbad Drug Administration (MDA) program lasting two weeks in 126 districts
Endemic for elephantiasis and onchoceriosis (river blindness) as of Monday
July 29, 2019.
Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Alternate
Director General of the Ghana Health Service, who announced it at a press conference
NTD conference in Accra on Friday, presented the distribution of districts as follows:
15 for elephantiasis, 120 for river blindness and nine co-endemic districts;
they are those with a combination of both diseases.
He said that NTDs involved a group of 20
infectious and parasitic diseases present in all the improvised parts of the world,
who fostered a cycle of poverty because they were seriously debilitating,
disabling and concentrated in remote rural areas and urban slums.
Dr. Aboagye stated that in Ghana, there were 14
NTDs, including elephantiasis, river blindness, Blindness
Trachoma, bilharziasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases (round worms), Buruli ulcer,
Yaws, leprosy, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness.
He said that the GHS through the years of
collaborative efforts with partners, were able to control and eliminate
Such as trachoma in 2018, and have broken the transmission of elephantiasis at
38 of the 98 endemic districts, the remaining 15 sports.
Dr. Aboagye stated that the NTD control program has
already started vigorous activities to ensure that no district is
left behind.
He said an badessment of river blindness
The situation in the country in 2018 has revealed that more districts should
receiving MDA, thereby increasing the number of endemic districts designated for
Onchoceriosis in the 85 to 120 program.
"What this means is that all hands must be on
to respond to the rise of the endemic nature of onchoceriosis ", calling for
collaboration with agencies and stakeholders, to facilitate with the GHS,
eliminate NTDs.
The Acting Director General acknowledged the
different roles played by all the partners who have helped the program since its
so far, citing the media and the thousands of volunteers and health professionals
workers who, every one or two years, distribute drugs against NTDs to millions of
people living in communities where the disease is endemic, and help with social mobilization, and
also all others who had indicated their willingness to collaborate with the
Country in its approach to the elimination of NTDs.
Dr. Aboagye said that to go forward, the
The program needs to intensify collaboration with all stakeholders so that
MDA could be improved, improve social mobilization by exploring all
opportunities, to ensure a quick start in terms of education and impact in all areas.
endemic districts.
Benjamin Marfo, Program Manager for
Neglected tropical diseases, GHS, said that Ghana has adopted a triple
strategy, involving the MDA in all endemic districts, by undertaking
management of all morbidity cases and health education,
for the elimination of neglected tropical diseases such as elephantiasis, river blindness, schistosomiasis
and infestation with intestinal worms.
He said that river blindness was transmitted by
the vector called "black fly", which breeds in fast-flowing rivers
the second cause of preventable blindness, while elephantiasis was once again
transmitted by the same woman anopheles mosquito that transmits malaria.
Dr. Marfo advised people living in endemic areas
communities to wear protective clothing to prevent these bites and urged them
comply with the treatment guidelines.
Dr. Joyce Aryee, who is currently responsible for the fight against NTDs in Ghana
The Ambbadador, called on all partners for mbadive support, including the communities
religious organizations, the media, volunteers and health workers to ensure
implementation of the MDA, saying that the country could no longer look
many of its people suffered from these preventable diseases.
GNA
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