Ghana’s battle against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) is facing new challenges following the withdrawal of USAID funding support, with health experts and campaigners calling for stronger government and stakeholder intervention to sustain progress.
At the launch of the “Eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis in Africa” and “Reaching the Last Mile Fund” programme in Accra, Sightsavers, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasized the urgent need for domestic investment to eliminate diseases such as Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) and Onchocerciasis (River Blindness).
Mr. David Agyemang, Country Lead for Sightsavers, warned that without renewed support, gains made in fighting NTDs risk being reversed. “We anticipate supporting the Ghana Health Service to reduce transmission of LF, lymphoedema, and River Blindness so Ghana can meet the 2030 targets. But we must bridge the funding gap left by the withdrawal of USAID support,” he said.
The programme, supported by the Gates Foundation and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, will roll out mass drug administration to more than five million people, hydrocele surgeries, and training of health professionals in NTD management.
NTDs, which include river blindness, bilharzia, scabies, rabies, yaws, leprosy, and Buruli ulcer, affect over 1.5 billion people globally, with Africa carrying 40 percent of the burden. In Ghana, diseases like trachoma and guinea worm have been eliminated, while others such as LF remain a public health threat.
Dr. Joseph Larbi Opare, Programmes Manager for NTDs at GHS, stressed that these diseases perpetuate poverty by keeping children out of school and parents out of work. He urged Ghanaians to participate in preventive interventions such as mass drug administration and mosquito control, while adopting safer sanitation practices to stop transmission.
Dr. Felicia Owusu-Antwi, WHO’s National Advisor for NTDs, lamented that many Ghanaians still suffer stigma and disability from preventable diseases. “Why do we still have Yaws? Why do we still have scabies in Ghana?” she asked, calling for disability-friendly interventions to empower survivors economically.
Stakeholders agreed that while global partnerships remain critical, the long-term fight against NTDs will depend on local commitment, sustained funding, and community involvement to ensure Ghana achieves the UN Sustainable Development Goal of ending NTD epidemics by 2030.
