Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, remains a significant public health challenge in Ghana, affecting millions of people, particularly school-aged children.
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, remains a significant public health challenge in Ghana, affecting millions of people, particularly school-aged children.
Dr. Enoch Mensah Boateng, a renowned biomedical expert and researcher, emphasizes the urgent need for effective control measures to combat this neglected tropical disease.
The primary strategy for controlling schistosomiasis in Ghana has been mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel, as the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended.
This approach, implemented in 2008, has successfully reduced infection rates. However, Dr. Boateng notes that despite these efforts, Ghana remains highly endemic for schistosomiasis with nearly a quarter of Ghanaians infected.
Dr. Boateng’s research has identified several challenges hindering the effective control of schistosomiasis in Ghana. Inadequate coverage is a significant issue; while MDA programs have been implemented, they often fail to reach the WHO’s target of 75-100% coverage for school-aged children.
Limited awareness about MDA activities leads to reduced participation, compounded by a lack of community drug distributors that hampers effective medication distribution in endemic areas.
Inadequate monitoring of MDA campaigns to effectively access the gains of preventive chemotherapy. Insufficient infrastructure in many endemic communities limits access to safe water and sanitation facilities crucial for breaking the transmission cycle.
Dr. Boateng advocates for a comprehensive, integrated approach to control schistosomiasis in Ghana. This includes enhancing MDA programs to improve coverage and efficiency of praziquantel distribution, especially in hard-to-reach communities.
Water-based interventions such as the installation of water recreation areas (WRAs) can reduce contact with infested water; studies have shown that WRAs significantly decreased the incidence of schistosomiasis from 13.4% to 3.7% in rural Ghanaian communities.
Incorporating widespread snail control measures is also essential, as they have been shown to reduce prevalence by up to 92% in some programs, routine precision mapping for schistosomiasis, and effective monitoring and evaluation of control measures are key to achieving a significant decline in infection prevalence.
Investing in safe water supplies and basic sanitation is critical to reducing contamination of water bodies with egg-containing excreta. Conducting extensive health education campaigns will increase awareness about the disease, its transmission, and prevention methods. An integrated approach that combines drug-based control programs with affordable snail control and environmental management will enhance elimination strategies.
In the laboratory, Dr. Boateng investigated peptidases of Schistosoma mansoni as putative vaccines or prophylactic drug targets. He emphasizes the need for continuous basic and applied research for improved control strategies and subsequent elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health threat in Ghana.
He calls for increased collaboration between policymakers, health authorities, local communities, and researchers to implement these control measures effectively. Furthermore,
Dr. Boateng highlights the importance of continued research to address knowledge gaps, such as the potential zoonotic transmission of schistosomiasis, hybridization in the Schistosoma population and their sensitivity to praziquantel, and the impact of climate change on disease distribution.
By implementing these comprehensive control measures, Ghana can make significant strides toward reducing the burden of schistosomiasis and improving the health and well-being of its population.
