Ghana
Ghana
Ghana is endemic for lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis, and soil transmitted helminthiasis. The strategic plan for the Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme (NTDP) has as its vision “Ghana free from ancient diseases and afflictions that have burdened humanity for centuries”. The goal is to improve on the capacity of the Ghana Health Service to establish an integrated NTDs programme capable of delivering interventions to prevent, control, eliminate or eradicate the neglected tropical diseases by the year 2020.
The Ghana Master Plan for neglected tropical diseases is based on the 5 pillars of the Ghana Health Service:
i) financial and geographic accessibility
ii) quality of care
iii) efficiency
iv) partnership
v) equitable distribution of resources
Ghana has developed a strong and well-integrated NTD programme and requires further implementation research on how to implement complementary strategies for identified ‘hotspots’ where ongoing transmission have been demonstrated and where additional challenges are faced in vulnerable cross-border areas which are impediments to control. There is also a need to increase the importance of and raise the profile of NTDs in the Ministry of Health and develop strategic and sustainable multi-sector collaborations to address vulnerability to NTDs (e.g. agriculture and water and sanitation). The future of implementation activities for the Ghana NTDP will focus on integration between disease treatment programmes to provide better geographic coverage.
Source: Ghana NTD Master Plan 2016-2020