Eliminating NTDs requires collaborative effort — Researcher
Stakeholders working to address the elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) have been urged to desist from working in silos, but rather come together to ensure that the diseases were detected and eliminated from the country.
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A Research Scientist at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Dr Richard Akuffo, said such a collaborative effort was necessary to meet the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target set for the country to make major strides in overcoming NTDs by 2030.
Ghana has so far been able to eliminate Guinea worm completely, and is currently dealing with yaws.
Dr Akuffo, who was speaking at an event to commemorate this year’s World Neglected Tropical Disease Day, said: “We are joining the world to mark the 20 diseases known to affect people but have not received enough attention because they usually affect people in hard-to-reach areas, the poor and marginalised”.
The day, which was marked with activities including a health screening exercise in Accra yesterday, was on the theme: “Unite, act and eliminate the NTDs”.
Screening exercise
About 200 people were screened for NTDs during the exercise.The public were also educated on the diseases for them to be better informed about preventive measures.
Some cases, such as scabies which are usually found in crowded areas and transmitted through skin-to-skin contact was identified during the exercise.
Dr Akuffo said the country currently had 14 NTDs, which he said were treatable so long as they were identified, and that “for yaws, a simple medicine is used to treat it, and all of them can be treated”.
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The diseases are Lymphatic Filariasis (elephantiasis), Onchocerciasis (river blindness), Schistosomiasis (urogenital or intestinal), Soil-transmitted helminths (worms), Buruli ulcer, Guinea worm, Leprosy, Yaws, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Rabies, Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Trachoma, Scabies and Snakebite envenoming.
Dr Akuffo said the diseases were usually found in rural and overcrowded areas.
He, however, said funding required to control NTDs was also not readily available, resulting in low awareness of the diseases.
Dr Akuffo said that the institute was continuously conducting research to inform policy and provide evidence on NTDs, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders.
He advised persons with NTDs to take their medication seriously, adding that “communities should be receptive to health workers when they come around”.
Lack of funding
A Senior Laboratory Technologist of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Yvonne Ashong, reiterated that NTDs were neglected due to the lack of funding.
She said although the diseases at their early stages did not cause harm, they were detrimental to a person in the long term.
Ms Ashong said the institute was building capacities for the early detection of NTDs and was also educating the public on its prevention and treatment.