Coverage of preventive measures and surveillance for neglected tropical diseases in hard-to-reach communities in Ghana.

Autor: Forson AO; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana.; Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Awuah RB; Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), University of Ghana, Legon. Accra, Ghana., Mohammed AR; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Owusu-Asenso CM; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Akosah-Brempong G; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Abdulai A; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Sraku IK; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Dhikrullahi SB; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Atakora SB; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Attah SK; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana., Afrane YA; Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Research, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana. yafrane@ug.edu.gh.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: BMC public health [BMC Public Health] 2023 Sep 14; Vol. 23 (1), pp. 1784. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Sep 14.
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16652-1
Abstrakt: Background: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a major public health burden which mainly affects poor populations living in tropical environments and hard-to-reach areas. The study sought to examine coverage of preventive efforts, and case surveillance for NTDs in hard-to-reach communities in Ghana.
Methods: The study investigated treatment efforts for lymphatic filariasis (LF), and onchocerciasis and schistosomiasis/soil transmitted helminths (SCH/STH) at household level, in difficult-to-access communities in Ghana. A total of 621 households were sampled from 6 communities in the Western, Oti and Greater Accra regions.
Results: Over 95% of the households surveyed were covered under mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns for lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis. More than 80% of households had received at least two visits by community drug distributors under the MDA campaigns in the last two years preceding the study. In addition, over 90% of households in the LF and onchocerciasis endemic communities had at least one member using anthelminthic medications under the MDA campaigns in the 12 months preceding the study. However, households where no member had taken anthelminthic medications in 12 months preceding the study were over 6 times likely to have someone in the household with LF.
Conclusions: This study determined that SCH/STH, LF and onchocerciasis are of serious public health concern in some communities in Ghana. There is an urgent need for holistic practical disease control plan involving both financial and community support to ensure total control of NTDs in difficult-to-access communities is achieved.
(© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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