The Wenchi Municipal Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has rolled out a municipality-wide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign to prevent and eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).
The exercise, which started on June 20 and will end on July 3, 2026, seeks to provide preventive medication to 141,721 eligible residents as part of efforts to reduce the prevalence of neglected tropical diseases in the municipality.
Speaking to the media, the Municipal Disease Control Officer, James Amaniapong, said the campaign targets all persons aged five years and above, except pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, individuals who are sick at the time of the exercise and those who choose not to participate.
He explained that trained community drug distributors, supported by health professionals, have been deployed to communities to conduct house-to-house visits and administer the medication, ensuring that residents can easily access the treatment.
Mr. Amaniapong disclosed that 9,092 people benefited from the exercise within the first two days, representing 6.4 percent of the overall target population.
He indicated that the Municipal Health Directorate has expanded the scope of the programme after routine disease surveillance revealed a significant number of lymphatic filariasis cases within the municipality. As a result, treatment for elephantiasis has been integrated into the existing river blindness intervention to strengthen disease control efforts.
According to him, the integrated approach is expected to improve coverage, maximize available resources and accelerate the elimination of the two diseases, which continue to pose public health challenges in some communities.
Mr. Amaniapong appealed to residents to embrace the campaign by taking the medication when health workers visit their homes, emphasizing that community participation is critical to interrupting disease transmission and protecting vulnerable populations.
He further assured the public that the drugs are safe and that the Ghana Health Service remains committed to safeguarding the health of residents through sustained preventive interventions and public education.
The Mass Drug Administration campaign forms part of ongoing national efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases and improve the overall health and well-being of communities across the country.
Source: Newspyramid.com
