River blindness remains in 149 districts, but surveys show parasite levels have dropped below five percent in many areas. Elephantiasis has been eliminated in 114 of the 116 endemic districts, with only two still affected. 367 cases of Buruli Ulcer were confirmed in 2024 alone with the disease burden remaining the Central Region.
Elephantiasis
Meanwhile, yaws continues to pose a challenge. In 2024 alone, more than 10,000 suspected cases were recorded, with 313 new cases confirmed this year. Programme Manager of the National NTD Programme, Dr. Joseph Opare, says donor withdrawal has had a major impact.
“About 80 percent of the NTD programme activities have been affected by the donor pull-out. We are considering integrating some of the activities with other programe activities,” he said.
At the ICCC High-Level Meeting Series, stakeholders called for the establishing an End NTDs Fund through public and private partnerships, stressing the urgent need for sustainable domestic financing.
The meeting also sought to strengthen coordination and technical integration of NTDP activities with key national programs, including the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP), through the establishment of a technical working group.
Source: 3news.com