Ghana: Accelerating neglected tropical disease control in a setting of economic development

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 13; no. 1; p. e0007005
• Main Authors: Hotez, Peter J., Biritwum, Nana-Kwadwo, Fenwick, Alan, Molyneux, David H., Sachs, Jeffrey D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.01.2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Albendazole; Animals; Arbovirus Infections - epidemiology; Arbovirus Infections - prevention & control; Biology and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Communicable Disease Control - methods; Control; Countries; Dengue; Dengue fever; Disease control; Disease transmission; Economic Development; Economic growth; Economics; Fever; Filariasis; Forecasts and trends; Ghana; Ghana - epidemiology; Growth rate; Helminthiasis - epidemiology; Helminthiasis - prevention & control; Human diseases; Humans; Infections; Ivermectin; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Neglected Diseases - epidemiology; Neglected Diseases - prevention & control; New technology; Onchocerciasis; Outbreaks; People and Places; Poverty; Public Health; Public policy; Risk factors; Schistosomiasis; Trachoma; Tropical climate; Tropical diseases; Tropical Medicine; Trypanosomiasis; Ulcers; Vector-borne diseases; Viewpoints; Viral diseases; Yellow fever; Ghana; New York; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Texas; China; Africa; India
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007005

According to the GBD 2017, schistosomiasis is the second most prevalent human helminth infection (following hookworm infection) in Ghana, affecting almost one million people [9]. [...]among the arbovirus infections, the incidence of dengue in Ghana and elsewhere in West Africa is believed to have risen precipitously. According to WHO, Ghana is one of 14 countries considered at high risk of yellow fever outbreaks, although it is not currently one of the four West African nations considered as a “complex emergency situation” [50]. The concerns about albendazole resistance and reduced ivermectin efficacy will also need to be addressed, with consideration of developing improved biotechnologies for some of the NTDs [51]. [...]we have seen how dengue and yellow fever can persist even in middle-income countries, so that for these diseases as well new technologies will need to be developed and implemented.