By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bongo (U/E), April 4, GNA – A project to complement the efforts of the Ghana Health Service to combat Skin Neglected Tropical Disease (Skin NTDs) in the country has been launched in the Upper East Region.
Dubbed, “Strengthening and Building Capacity of Health Staff”, the project would be implemented by the Development Research and Advocacy Centre (DRAC), a Non-Governmental Organisation, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service.
The project would be implemented in five districts in the Upper East Region namely Talensi, Nabdam, Bongo, Binduri and Builsa South with the aim of reducing deaths associated with skin NTDs.
It would also help to strengthen the health care system especially the primary health care level towards the integration of skin NTDs with other programmes, advocating the inclusion of skin NTDs into the National Health Insurance Scheme and inclusion of WASH in the medium-term plans and Budget of District Assemblies among others.
Speaking at the launch of the project in Bongo, Mr Miltron Aberinga, the Director of Programmes, DRAC, said Ghana was endemic with a number of neglected tropical diseases namely Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Trachoma, Schistosomiasis, Soil transmitted helminthiasis, Buruli ulcer, Yaws, Leprosy, Guinea worm, Human African Trypanosomiasis, Cutaneous leishmaniasis and Rabies.
He explained that although a number of control measures had been initiated by the Ghana Health Service, the control efforts for those diseases especially Leprosy, Elephantiasis and Yaws remained a major challenge.
He attributed some of the challenges to a number of factors including limited funding, inadequate human resource capacity, stigma, knowledge gaps, cultural norms and traditions among others.
He regretted that most of the time the Skin NTDs were commonly associated with the poor and said poor hygiene was a factor that also accounted for the diseases particularly Leprosy, Elephantiasis and Yaws.
He mentioned that among the key activities that would be implemented by DRAC in collaboration with the GHS and other partners were the training of Clinical staff on management and referrals of skin NTDs, training of Community Health Volunteers on skin NTDs, strengthening stakeholder’s involvement in the fight against skin diseases, strengthening and empowering communities to fight against stigma and discrimination associated with skin diseases as well as strengthening partnership and creating a network of CSOs to end skin NTDs in Ghana.
Mr Eric Dokua, the Upper East Regional Focal Person for Leprosy, Ghana Health Service, explained that tackling Skin NTDs called for all stakeholders including traditional, religious, opinion leaders and Civil Society Organizations to get involved by encouraging victims of the disease to go for treatment at health facilities instead of depending solely of traditional treatment.
He said one of the major challenges confronting the Ghana Health Service in tackling the problem was inadequate resources and logistics and expressed optimism that the current intervention would help mitigate the challenge.
GNA