Ashanti region: The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has commenced a mass immunisation exercise against Onchocerciasis and Schistosomiasis in selected districts across the Ashanti Region, as part of efforts to reduce the burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Ghana by the year 2030.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) exercise, which began on September 7 and is expected to end on September 20, is being carried out in schools and communities by trained volunteers. Districts benefiting from the Onchocerciasis immunisation include Atwima Mponua, Sekyere Kumawu, Asante Mampong, Sekyere Afram Plains, Ahafo Ano North, Offinso North, Ejura Sekyeredumase, Sekyere East, and Sekyere Central.
In three of the districts - Sekyere Kumawu, Sekyere Afram Plains, and Atwima Mponua, volunteers are also administering drugs to combat Schistosomiasis alongside Onchocerciasis treatment. Onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness, is caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus and transmitted through the bite of an infected blackfly (Simulium damnosum). The infection can lead to severe itching, skin disfigurement, and, in some cases, blindness. Schistosomiasis, on the other hand, is an acute and chronic parasitic disease caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. It affects millions globally and can damage the urinary bladder, intestines, and other vital organs if untreated.
Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, underscored the importance of tackling NTDs to reduce their prevalence to levels that are no longer of public health significance by 2030. He explained that the Regional Health Directorate had adopted multiple strategies, including Mass Drug Administration (MDA), morbidity control and management, health education, and sensitisation. Dr. Adomako-Boateng also called on stakeholders, including traditional leaders, school authorities, parents, and community members, to fully support the ongoing exercise to protect residents, especially children, from these preventable diseases.
