By: Akosua Frema Frempong
Ghana has made significant progress in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), with several diseases eliminated as public health threats and others nearing eradication. This was highlighted during the observance of World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day in Kumasi. Held under the auspices of the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, the event sought to raise awareness and intensify efforts against diseases such as Buruli ulcer, leprosy, elephantiasis, river blindness, and sleeping sickness.
Neglected Tropical Diseases are a group of infections that cause severe disability, disfigurement, and death, yet receive minimal global attention and funding. Globally, these diseases affect approximately 1.7 billion people across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Ghana is endemic for 14 of the 20 NTDs identified by the World Health Organization; these include Buruli ulcer, leprosy, yaws, elephantiasis, river blindness, and sleeping sickness. World Neglected Tropical Disease Day was instituted in 2019, and Ghana joined the observance on January 30, 2020. The 2026 observance focused on the theme: “Unite, Act, Eliminate: Advancing Efforts to End Neglected Tropical Diseases,” targeting illnesses often linked to poverty and poor sanitation.
Addressing the media in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Fred Adomako Boateng, said Ghana has made significant strides, with several diseases no longer considered public health threats.
“We know the famous Guinea worm and trachoma have been eliminated, and in some countries, leprosy has been as well,” Dr. Adomako Boateng noted. “Others have seen huge progress and are on the verge of elimination; one of them is sleeping sickness. If you look at lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), it was endemic in 116 out of 261 districts. Transmission has now been interrupted in 109 of those 116 districts. Currently, mass drug administration of ivermectin is ongoing in nine districts, including Ahafo Ano North, Atwima Mponua, Asante Mampong, Ejura Sekyedumase, Offinso North, Sekyere Afram Plains, Sekyere Central, Sekyere East, and Sekyere Kumawu.”
Dr. Adomako Boateng expressed hope that, with sustained national commitment and increased investment, these diseases would be fully eliminated.
“Everyone in Ghana is at risk of an NTD infection. Everyone—including the government, policymakers, the private sector, health workers, and the general population—should support the fight through financial contributions and participation in interventions,” he urged. “The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved if we do not fight NTDs, which fuel poverty. Our primary goal is to reduce the prevalence of these diseases to a level where they are no longer of public health significance by 2030. That date is just around the corner. Our vision is a Ghana free of NTDs and their complications. Colleagues, let’s unite, act by seeking early care, and respond with compassion. Together, Ghana will eliminate NTDs by 2030.”
This year’s observance highlighted the need for renewed commitment to eliminate these diseases by 2030, in line with the World Health Organization’s roadmap.
