GHS targets 12.6 million people for onchocerciasis drug administration

About 12.6 million people nationwide need to receive drugs to protect them against onchocerciasis; Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General (DG) of Ghana Health Service (GHS), revealed.

The people targeted are spread across 70 endemic districts, he said in a speech read on his behalf at the Mass Drug Administration’s (MDA) nationwide launch against onchocerciasis in Sunyani.

Onchocerciasis (river blindness) is one of the five endemic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), trachoma, schistosomiasis (bilharzia) in the country.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye underscored the country’s determination to eradicate the disease by 2030, saying prevention and control of NTDs remain essential to end extreme poverty over the next two decades.

Under the theme “Confronting NTDs, Ending Neglect with Effective and Quality MDAs”, GHS has scheduled MDAs from August 9 to 22 this year, where people, especially school-aged children in onchocerciasis endemic areas of the country, administered with drugs.

Globally, said Dr Kuma-Aboagye, more than a billion people suffered from one or more NTDs causing disability, severe disfigurement and blindness.

These diseases affect the world’s most vulnerable population with devastating and lifelong disabilities that help trap individuals, families and even entire communities in poverty, he said.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye advised members of the MDA communities to use themselves to receive the drugs so that exercise achieves the desired results.

Dr Kofi Asemanyi-Mensah, the national NTD program manager, mentioned low mortality, weak policies and nonchalant attitudes of some health authorities as some of the obstacles affecting the fight against NTDs in the country.

He explained that MDAs remained the safest remedy for controlling onchocerciasis and called on all stakeholders to support exercise.

Dr Asemanyi-Mensah commended the World Health Organization (WHO) and other development partners for their continued support for the elimination of NTDs in the country and expressed hope that regional health directorates would step up educating the public so that the majority of the population benefits from exercising it.