Health directorate launches mass campaign against neglected tropical diseases

The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched an Integrated Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign to combat three major Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): Onchocerciasis (River Blindness), Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis), and Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia).

The free, house-to-house exercise is scheduled to run from June 20 to July 3, 2026. It will be carried out across nine selected districts in the region under the theme: “Onchocerciasis is preventable and treatable. STOP the stigma.”

The beneficiary districts include Ahafo Ano North, Asante Mampong, Atwima Mponua, Offinso North, Ejura Sekyeredumase, Sekyere East, Sekyere Central, Sekyere Kumawu, and Sekyere Afram Plains.

The campaign is part of a nationwide initiative by the GHS to eliminate NTDs as a public health concern in Ghana by 2030. Environmental challenges, such as poor sanitation practices, unsafe water sources, and certain human activities, continue to drive the transmission of these diseases in rural and peri-urban areas.

Speaking during the launch, the Ashanti Regional Health Director, Dr. Fred Adomako Boateng, presented data on cases treated in the region between 2021 and 2025, highlighting the urgency of the intervention.

"For Onchocerciasis (River Blindness), the region recorded 87 cases in 2021, 44 in 2022, 104 in 2023, 46 in 2024, and a sharp rise to 160 cases in 2025. For Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), the figures stood at 436 in 2021, 548 in 2022, 294 in 2023, 298 in 2024, and 401 in 2025," Dr. Boateng revealed.

In addition to the general distribution, an integrated treatment plan targeting both River Blindness and Bilharzia will be implemented in specific sub-districts within Atwima Mponua, Sekyere Afram Plains, and Sekyere Kumawu to improve community welfare.

Health workers will administer Ivermectin to treat Onchocerciasis and Praziquantel for Schistosomiasis. The authorities have assured the public that both drugs are safe, highly effective, and completely free of charge.

To determine dosage, health officials will use height measurements.

Eligible individuals measuring 90 cm or taller will receive Ivermectin. Those measuring 94 cm or taller will receive Praziquantel.

Dr. Boateng explained that some individuals might experience mild, temporary side effects after taking the medication. He emphasised that these reactions are normal and indicate that the medicine is working effectively in the body, urging beneficiaries not to panic.

The mass drug administration targets eligible individuals aged five years and above. However, the following groups are strictly excluded from the exercise:

* Children under five years of age

* Pregnant women