By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Aug. 10, GNA – The Development Research and Advocacy Centre (DRAC) has called on journalists to develop interest in and prioritise reporting on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) to help raise awareness, influence policy, and mobilise resources towards their elimination.
Mr Jonathan Atiah Adabre, the Executive Director of DRAC, who made the call, observed that the most vulnerable in society were often the most affected by skin-related NTDs and urged the media to use their influential platforms to advocate for the interests of such people.
Speaking during a capacity-building workshop in Bolgatanga for selected journalists in the Upper East Region, Mr Adabre stressed the urgent need for strong advocacy to drive policy direction towards ending skin NTDs.
The training, organised by DRAC, formed part of the implementation of Phase Two of the Integrated Actions Towards Combating Skin NTDs in Ghana Project, funded by the Anesvad Foundation of Spain.
Skin NTDs are a group of infectious diseases that primarily affect the skin, causing chronic illness, disability, disfigurement, and stigma, particularly in poor and marginalised communities in tropical and subtropical regions.
The World Health Organisation currently recognises 20 NTDs, which affect more than a billion people worldwide.
These include Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, dengue and other arboviral diseases, dracunculiasis, foodborne trematodiases, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, yaws, and lymphatic filariasis, among others.
The new initiative builds upon the successes of the first phase, implemented between February 2023 and January 2024 across five districts, namely, Bongo, Talensi, Nabdam, Builsa North and Binduri.
That phase strengthened surveillance, built the capacity of health personnel, reduced stigma, and enhanced civil society networks to fight skin NTDs.
The second phase will extend to 40 communities within the Bongo, Talensi, Nabdam, and Binduri districts, which have high prevalence rates and vulnerability to skin NTDs.
It aims to strengthen advocacy, reduce stigma, and improve healthcare and livelihoods for affected persons and communities.
Mr Adabre said the project will provide vocational training in basket weaving and soap making, improve access to water and sanitation infrastructure through the construction of 10 boreholes, and enhance public awareness through media engagement.
“We want the media to be champions in this fight, keeping the conversation alive, shaping public opinion, and holding stakeholders accountable,” he stressed.
The workshop trained journalists on ethical reporting standards for NTDs, emphasising accuracy, context, dignity, and solution-focused storytelling to influence public awareness and policy formulation aimed at ending skin NTDs.
Mr Mohammed Fugu, a journalist who facilitated the training, stressed that the media remained a powerful ally in the fight against NTDs but often underreports them.
Findings from a recent media content analysis on NTD coverage in Ghana, which he conducted, revealed that most stories in 2024 were event-driven and lacked expert perspectives, while thematic areas such as funding, collaboration, and survivor experiences were underrepresented.
He noted that despite affecting some of the poorest communities in Ghana, NTDs receive far less coverage compared to malaria, HIV/AIDS, or tuberculosis, leaving gaps in public knowledge and policy attention.
“NTDs are not just a health issue; they are a development challenge tied to poverty, sanitation, and access to healthcare. By telling in-depth, human-centred stories, journalists can help break myths, reduce stigma, and put pressure on duty-bearers to act,” he emphasised.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah