Policy gaps major cause of persistent Neglected Tropical Diseases in Ghana – Jonathan Adabre
Jonathan Adabre Atia said although Ghana has developed a national master plan aimed at controlling and eliminating neglected tropical diseases, the implementation of the plan has not adequately reached many communities, particularly those in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
The Ghana National Consortium on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) has attributed the continued prevalence of neglected tropical diseases in the country to policy gaps and insufficient attention from health authorities.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Thursday, February 5, 2026 the National Secretary of the Consortium, Jonathan Adabre Atia said although Ghana has developed a national master plan aimed at controlling and eliminating neglected tropical diseases, the implementation of the plan has not adequately reached many communities, particularly those in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
Adabre explained that the limited reach of interventions, coupled with inadequate public education and preventive measures, continues to allow several tropical diseases to persist in parts of the country.
“The neglect is from policy makers because you need clear policy direction on what has to be done to eliminate them. But in this country, of course, we have the NTD master plan, but it doesn’t trickle down to the local level, community level, district level, regional level. Those are the challenges.” He said
He also highlighted some of the most common neglected tropical diseases affecting communities in Ghana and urged the public to remain vigilant by adopting preventive practices, seeking early treatment, and participating in community health programmes designed to control the spread of such diseases.
“There are a group of diseases that afflict mostly the poor and they occur in the tropical and subtropical. Globally, there are 21 of them, but 14 of them are prevalent in Ghana. If you come to the Upper East Region, the most common of them are the leprosy and yaws.
Adabre also dismissed widespread myths associated with the elephantiasis, explaining that the disease is primarily caused by mosquito bites rather than spiritual or supernatural factors as sometimes believed.
He called on health authorities and policymakers to intensify awareness campaigns and strengthen the implementation of existing policies to help reduce the burden of neglected tropical diseases across the country.
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