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GHS launches 2026 Mass Drug Administration campaign
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched its 2026 Integrated Mass Drug Administration (MDA) Campaign, targeting about 6.7 million people as part of efforts to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the country by 2030.
Launching the campaign in Accra, the Director-General of the Service, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, said the exercise, scheduled from June 20 to July 3, would focus on the prevention and control of Onchocerciasis (river blindness), Lymphatic Filariasis (elephantiasis) and Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) in endemic communities.
He said NTDs continued to affect vulnerable populations, causing disability, stigma, suffering and loss of productivity, and therefore required sustained interventions and community support.
Dr Akoriyea noted that Ghana had made remarkable progress in the fight against river blindness and elephantiasis through years of mass drug administration and community-based interventions.
According to him, although 149 districts were previously endemic for river blindness, interventions introduced since 1997 had reduced the number requiring treatment to 86 districts.
He added that transmission of Lymphatic Filariasis had been interrupted in 114 out of 117 endemic districts, leaving only three districts requiring continued intervention.
He explained that treatment for Lymphatic Filariasis would target about 266,000 people, while community-wide treatment for Schistosomiasis would be conducted in 13 districts across eight regions, reaching more than one million people.
Dr Akoriyea urged community leaders, parents, teachers, religious leaders and the media to support public education efforts and encourage participation in the exercise, stressing that the medicines were safe, effective and would be administered free of charge by trained health workers and community volunteers.
He further expressed appreciation to development partners, including WHO and Sightsavers, as well as health workers, volunteers and other stakeholders for their continued support in Ghana’s fight against neglected tropical diseases.
The National Programme Officer for Neglected Tropical Diseases at the World Health Organisation (WHO), Madam Felicia Owusu-Antwi, reaffirmed the organisation’s support for Ghana’s NTD elimination agenda.
She said WHO, through its Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN), continued to provide technical and operational support to Ghana, including disease mapping, medicines management, supply chain coordination and programme reviews.
Madam Owusu-Antwi stressed that the success of the campaign depended largely on community participation and high treatment coverage, urging the media to intensify public education in order to ensure that eligible persons took part in the exercise.
She also underscored the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene in controlling NTDs, noting that medical interventions alone could not eliminate the diseases.
The Programme Manager of the Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme of the GHS, Mr Joseph Kwadwo Opare, appealed to the government to increase funding support for the control and elimination of NTDs.
According to him, the changing global funding landscape made it necessary for government to commit more resources to sustain gains made in the fight against the diseases.
Mr Opare said children under five years, infants less than one month old and persons who were seriously ill would not be eligible to receive the medicines during the exercise.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
In a world where fathers are increasingly consumed by work and the pursuit of financial security, Bishop Michael Quartey, the Regional Overseer of the Perez Chapel International, has urged fathers to prioritise spending quality time with their children.
This, he said makes them develop trust, love and sense of security in building confident responsible adults.
Bishop Michael Quartey made this known in an interview with The Spectator ahead of the Father’s Day celebration tomorrow.
He noted that while many fathers are providing the financial needs of their families, children also require emotional support, guidance and quality time from their fathers.
“A lot of children are engaged in a lot of negative things just because of the absence of their fathers and it is about time we sit up.”
Bishop Quartey explained that fatherhood goes beyond meeting financial obligations and involves being physically and emotionally present in the lives of their children.
“Fathers serve as role models whose actions and decisions often influence the values and attitudes of their children” he disclosed.
He also elaborated that regular communication, participation in school activities and involvement in children’s daily life could significantly strengthen family bonds and contribute to the overall well –being of the children.
He added that though the modern day fathers are doing so well, we need to continue to change the narrative by putting in extra effort in the upbringing of our children.
“Being a father is a great joy and it is very necessary for fathers to be celebrated because they go through a lot,” he indicated.
Mr Quartey used the opportunity to encourage all fathers to continue doing their best and pray for their children as well.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
A new cultural, trade, and diplomatic platform celebrating Ghana-Norway ties was launched on Saturday, June 13, at Palms by Eagles Hotel, Accra.
Dubbed the ‘Akwaaba Nsuo & Velkommen Fjord Durbar 2026’, the event draws on the symbolism of Ghana’s rivers, -Nsuo, and Norway’s fjords to highlight water as a shared cultural, economic, and environmental identity.
The three-day event is scheduled for July 31 – August 2, 2026 in Oslo, Norway. Activities will include a trade exhibition, durbar of chiefs, and B2B networking sessions.
Speaking at the launch, CEO of the Durbar, Kofi Mulan, said Ghana’s rivers like the Volta, Pra, and Ankobra have long sustained livelihoods through fishing, transport, and spirituality.
“Similarly, Norway’s fjords represent the cornerstone of its maritime heritage, global leadership in ocean industries, and environmental stewardship,” Mr Mulan added.
“These parallel relationships with water form the philosophical and thematic spine of the entire event. The Akwaaba Nsuo & Velkommen Fjord Durbar 2026 is therefore framed as a convergence of heritage and innovation,” he said.
Organisers say participants will benefit from Global visibility and cultural diplomacy in Europe, stronger ties with Norway, and increased market access for exports like fashion, crafts, agribusiness, and processed goods under AfCFTA frameworks on the Ghana side.
On the Norway side, they noted access to Norwegian expertise in maritime technology, aquaculture, and renewable energy, plus opportunities in fisheries, offshore energy, and sustainability projects.
The Durbar is positioned as a high-level exchange platform to deepen trade and diplomatic relations between Ghana and Norway.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
