The Service in collaboration with its development partners, has officially launched the second round of its 2026 Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign against Onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness.
The campaign, scheduled to run from 15th to 29th November 2026, forms part of Ghana’s intensified efforts to eliminate the disease as a public health problem by 2030.
Welcoming stakeholders at a media briefing, the Director of the Public Health Division of the Service, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, explained that Onchocerciasis is transmitted through the bites of infected blackflies and can cause severe skin conditions, visual impairment and irreversible blindness, placing significant social and economic burdens on affected individuals and families.
He commended frontline health workers, Community Drug Distributors (CDDs), volunteers and development partners, including the Noor Dubai Foundation, Sightsavers, World Vision and the END Fund, for their continued support in ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and free medication to affected communities.
Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe also highlighted the important role of the media in promoting public awareness, addressing misconceptions and building community trust to ensure maximum participation in the campaign.
Delivering the keynote address, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, highlighted the significant progress Ghana has made in controlling river blindness since the commencement of its control efforts in 1997.
He noted that the number of districts requiring treatment has reduced from 152 to 86, representing a decline of 66 districts.
He further disclosed that during the first round of the 2026 campaign, held from 20th June to 10th July, more than 4.8 million people received the recommended free medication, representing a treatment coverage of 86.1%.
According to him, lessons from the first round have informed improvements for the second phase, including strengthened household registration under the Free Primary Healthcare framework, enhanced practical training for health workers and Community Drug Distributors, as well as the piloting of electronic data collection in selected districts to improve data quality and reporting.
Dr. Akoriyea identified misinformation as a major threat to the success of the campaign and called on traditional leaders, religious bodies and the media to help disseminate accurate information and encourage public confidence. He urged all eligible residents in the 86 endemic districts to welcome campaign teams and take the medication as directed.
In her address, the Chief Executive Officer and Board Trustee of the Noor Dubai Foundation, Dr. Manal Taryam, reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s elimination target through its partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI).
She disclosed that following pledges made at the World Government Summit in Dubai, MBRGI is supporting a three-year programme with a grant of US$74.7 million to accelerate Ghana’s efforts towards eliminating river blindness by 2030. The programme aims to treat more than five million people annually and generate significant long-term economic benefits through improved productivity, reduced healthcare costs and increased school attendance.
Dr. Taryam drew inspiration from Ghana’s successful elimination of Guinea worm disease and trachoma as a public health problem in 2018, as well as Niger’s achievement in 2025 as the first African country to receive WHO certification for eliminating river blindness. She particularly commended Community Drug Distributors for their dedication and described them as key contributors to the success of the campaign.
Speaking on behalf of Sightsavers, Mr. David Agyeman congratulated the Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme for successfully implementing two rounds of mass drug administration within a single year. He emphasised that strong ownership and collaboration at all levels, from national leadership to local communities, would be critical to achieving elimination.
Similarly, the Project Manager at World Vision Ghana, Mr. Solomon Ananya, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting interventions that protect vulnerable families and break the cycle of poverty associated with neglected tropical diseases.
The Service is therefore calling on all eligible residents in the 86 endemic districts to actively participate in the second round of the campaign by cooperating with health teams and taking the free medication as directed to help accelerate Ghana’s progress towards eliminating river blindness by 2030