GHAC-NTDs calls for stakeholder collaboration to eliminate NTDs in Ghana

The Ghana National Consortium on Neglected Tropical Diseases (GHAC-NTDs) has called on the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration towards eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Ghana by 2030.

The call was made as Ghana joined the global community to mark World NTD Day on the theme: “Unite, Act, Eliminate NTDs and Related Diseases.”

GHAC-NTDs said effective collaboration was necessary to establish a national NTD fund to ensure sustainable financing, reduce dependence on external donors, and promote local ownership of NTD programmes.

The consortium, made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and health advocates, noted that while Ghana had successfully eliminated Guinea worm, trachoma, and Human African Trypanosomiasis, 14 out of the 21 recognised NTDs still persisted in the country.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Dr Peter Ndonwie, the National Chairman of GHAC-NTDs, said more than 12 million Ghanaians remained at risk of contracting NTDs due to poverty, poor sanitation, and limited access to healthcare.

Dr Ndonwie stated that current interventions were largely fragmented and uncoordinated, slowing progress towards total elimination.

He acknowledged the leadership shown by the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service but noted that CSOs continued to face challenges in participating meaningfully in national planning.

“These include limited access to information, lack of transparency in data on disease prevalence and resource allocation, and policy formulation processes that often exclude community-level perspectives,” he said.

Dr Ndonwie further expressed concern about inadequate budgetary allocations for NTDs at both national and district levels, which had left elimination efforts heavily dependent on declining donor support.

He called on the government to formally integrate CSOs into the Intra-Country Coordinating Committee (ICCC) at national, regional, and district levels to strengthen collaborative planning, implementation, and monitoring.

He also urged the rapid implementation of the End NTDs Fund, announced in 2025, with transparent mechanisms that allow CSOs to access resources for community-led interventions.

He additionally advocated the establishment of a shared digital surveillance platform to enable real-time data exchange between government health facilities and CSO field teams.

Dr Ndonwie called for a shift from vertical, drug-focused interventions to integrated primary healthcare approaches that include disability management, mental health support, community rehabilitation, and stigma reduction for affected persons.

Jonathan Adabre Atia, the National Secretary of GHAC-NTDs, said the consortium was ready to deploy its extensive network of experienced members, volunteers, and advocates to support the Ghana NTD Sustainability Plan (2023–2026).

He expressed confidence that eliminating NTDs in Ghana was achievable if all stakeholders worked together.

He stated that NTD elimination was not just a dream, but it was a target within reach with a collective act from all stakeholders.