Mapping NTDs in Ghana

This content was originally posted by the London Applied & Spatial Epidemiology Research Group (LASER).

Integrated management of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has been recommended by the World Health Organisation as a way to tackle the burden of morbidity due to these diseases, which remains high as their transmission has been reduced. Ghana is an example of a country which has committed to finding innovative ways to integrate control and management of multiple NTDs. One approach is to integrate care for patients with leprosy, Buruli ulcer (a disease which destroys skin and bone tissue), and lymphatic filariasis (causing elephantiasis). To identify communities that may benefit from integration, we need to identify where these diseases co-exist. This is a challenge because data on NTDs is currently limited, and costly to collect.

We piloted a low-cost solution to this problem, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the leprosy, Buruli ulcer and lymphatic filariasis programs in Ghana, and the AIM Initiative, which supports these programs. We collected data on leprosy and Buruli ulcer patients recorded in health facilities, and on cases of lymphatic filariasis found in mass drug administration campaigns. By mapping the communities of these cases, we identified districts and communities where two or more of the conditions occurred. These are targets for integrated NTD control and management.

Read more of this article from our partner the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) about our collaboration in Ghana.