02859nas a2200349   4500000000100000008004100001260004400042653005700086653003900143653003000182653001900212653002000231653003800251653001000289100001400299700001300313700001600326700002000342700002200362700001400384700001300398700001900411700001500430700001300445700001400458245012400472856010900596300000800705490000700713520177500720022001402495       2023                            d  bSpringer Science and Business Media LLC10aPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aLymphatic filariasis (LF)10aOnchocerciasis10aSchistosomiasis10aSoil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs)10aGhana1 aForson AO1 aAwuah RB1 aMohammed AR1 aOwusu-Asenso CM1 aAkosah-Brempong G1 aAbdulai A1 aSraku IK1 aDhikrullahi SB1 aAtakora SB1 aAttah SK1 aAfrane YA00aCoverage of preventive measures and surveillance for neglected tropical diseases in hard-to-reach communities in Ghana  uhttps://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12889-023-16652-1.pdf?pdf=button%20sticky  a1-80 v233 a<p><strong>Background:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Methods:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Results:</strong> 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&nbsp;months preceding the study. However, households where no member had taken anthelminthic medications in 12&nbsp;months preceding the study were over 6 times likely to have someone in the household with LF.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> 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.</p>
  a1471-2458