Tag Archives: Ghana Health Service

Ghana Launches NTD Master Plan, Mass Drug Administration Campaign, Celebrates Billionth NTD Treatment

Africa, NTDs, ,

 

The Global Network is happy to share END in Africa’s announcement congratulating Ghana on the launch of its NTD master plan and and 2014 strategic mass drug administration campaign. View the original post here. 

On Thursday, July 3, 2014, the Government of Ghana launched both its Ghana Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) master plan and its 2014 strategic mass drug administration (MDA) campaign, while also celebrating the One Billionth NTD Treatment delivered globally with USAID support. USAID funds the END in Africa project, which supports Ghana Health Services (GHS) and the Ghana’s NTD program in providing medicines that protect 26.3 million Ghanaians from contracting NTDs such as trachoma, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths.

Ghana Minister of Health Hon. Sherry Ayittey with Queen Mothers from the Greater Accra Region

Ghana Minister of Health Hon. Sherry Ayittey with Queen Mothers from the Greater Accra Region at Ghana NTD Master Plan and 2014 MDA Campaign Launch. Photo: FHI360

At a colorful event at Accra’s La Beach Hotel today, Ghana’s Minister of Health Hon. Sherry Ayittey presided over the launch of the country’s NTD master plan and 2014 MDA campaign. Along with Acting Director of USAID/Ghana Peter Trenchard, the Hon. Minister Ayittey presented certificates and awards to Community Health Volunteer Madam Mary Becheyiri and NTD Program Technical Officer Mr. Alhassan Ahmed, who represented the many thousands of unsung heroes in Ghana’s NTD elimination and control efforts.

Ghana Minister of Health Hon. Sherry Ayittey and USAID/Ghana Acting Director Andrew Karas Present Award to Community Health Volunteer Madam Mary Becheyiri, who was selected as one of Ghana's NTD unsung heroes

Ghana Minister of Health Hon. Sherry Ayittey and USAID/Ghana Acting Director Peter Trenchard Present Award to Community Health Volunteer Madam Mary Becheyiri, who was selected as one of Ghana’s NTD unsung heroes. Photo: FHI360

Under the direction of Rebecca Ackwonu, Public Relations Officer for the Director General of the GHS and Master of Ceremonies for today’s event, a symbolic MDA took place, led by a community health volunteer. The event was chaired by Nii La Mantse, a paramount chief of La, where the event took place.

Also in attendance were Acting Director of USAID’s Ghana Mission Peter Trenchard, Queen mothers from the Greater Accra Region, Director General of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Ebenezar Appiah-Denkyira, Ghana NTD Programme Manager Dr. Nana Kwadwo Biritwum, as well as many other directors and programme managers from the Ghana Health Service. NTD partners from organizations such as END in Africa, FH1360, the Volta River Authority, the Partnership for Child Development, Liverpool Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), Sight Savers Ghana, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) were also represented.

For an overview of the day’s activities, see the Ghana Event Program Agenda.

Read the story on the event published in Ghana’s Daily Graphic Newspaper.

Ghana Health Service (GHS) Launches Project to Prevent, Eliminate NTDs

NTDs

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has just developed and launched the project, “End in Africa – Ghana and 2012 MDA’s for NTDs,” as a measure to address the debilitating effects of NTDS in Ghana.

The key objective of the project is for mass drug administration (MDA) to treat NTDs and the undertaking of clinical management across Ghana.The initiative will also provide public health education to all targeted endemic NTD communities. The primary NTD targets are: trachoma, lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), onchocerciasis (river blindness), schistosomiasis (snail fever) and soil transmitted helminthiasis (roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm).

At the launch of the project, Ghana’s Minister of Health, Mr. Alban Suman Bagbin, emphasized the country’s disease profile, noting that Ghana is burdened, “with long list of NTDs…[that] come under one common denominator – they are known as ‘the poor man’s diseases; occurring almost exclusively among the poor, rural and deprived communities around the country”.

Ghana’s Health Ministry and GNS will continue to improve collaboration with a variety of partners such as other ministries and development departments and agencies. Some of these partners include USAID, Catholic Relief Services, FHI 360, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), Mectizan Donation Programme, Liverpool Centre for NTDs, Sightsavers, World Health Organization and Africa Lymphatic Filariasis Support Centre .

Click here to learn more about the “End in Africa – Ghana and 2012 MDA’s for NTDs,” project.