1. Progress towards lymphatic filariasis elimination in Ghana from 2000-2016: analysis of microfilaria prevalence data from 430 communities
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Periklis Kontoroupis, Kwadwo K. Frempong, Odame Asiedu, Benjamin Marfo, Samuel Odoom, Daniel A. Boakye, Suzanne Verver, Sake J. de Vlas, Abednego Yeboah, Nana Kwadwo Biritwum, Wilma A. Stolk, John O. Gyapong, Bright Alomatu, Edward Tei Hervie, and Public Health
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Endemic Diseases ,RC955-962 ,Social Sciences ,Disease Vectors ,Ghana ,Mosquitoes ,law.invention ,Geographical Locations ,0302 clinical medicine ,Ivermectin ,Sociology ,law ,Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Prevalence ,Medicine ,Public and Occupational Health ,Child ,Microfilariae ,Lymphatic filariasis ,Schools ,Eukaryota ,Filariasis ,Insects ,Infectious Diseases ,Transmission (mechanics) ,Oncology ,Helminth Infections ,Child, Preschool ,Mass Drug Administration ,Female ,Health Services Research ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,Research Article ,Neglected Tropical Diseases ,medicine.drug ,Arthropoda ,Lymphatic Mapping ,030231 tropical medicine ,Elephantiasis ,Albendazole ,World Health Organization ,Microfilaria ,Education ,03 medical and health sciences ,Elephantiasis, Filarial ,Diagnostic Medicine ,Environmental health ,parasitic diseases ,Parasitic Diseases ,Cancer Detection and Diagnosis ,Animals ,Humans ,Disease Eradication ,Mass drug administration ,business.industry ,Lymphatic Filariasis ,Organisms ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Prevalence survey ,Tropical Diseases ,medicine.disease ,Invertebrates ,Insect Vectors ,Species Interactions ,030104 developmental biology ,People and Places ,Africa ,Parasitology ,business - Abstract
Background Ghana started its national programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in 2000, with mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin and albendazole as main strategy. We review the progress towards elimination that was made by 2016 for all endemic districts of Ghana and analyze microfilaria (mf) prevalence from sentinel and spot-check sites in endemic districts. Methods We reviewed district level data on the history of MDA and outcomes of transmission assessment surveys (TAS). We further collated and analyzed mf prevalence data from sentinel and spot-check sites. Results MDA was initiated in 2001–2006 in all 98 endemic districts; by the end of 2016, 81 had stopped MDA after passing TAS and after an average of 11 rounds of treatment (range 8–14 rounds). The median reported coverage for the communities was 77–80%. Mf prevalence survey data were available for 430 communities from 78/98 endemic districts. Baseline mf prevalence data were available for 53 communities, with an average mf prevalence of 8.7% (0–45.7%). Repeated measurements were available for 78 communities, showing a steep decrease in mean mf prevalence in the first few years of MDA, followed by a gradual further decline. In the 2013 and 2014 surveys, 7 and 10 communities respectively were identified with mf prevalence still above 1% (maximum 5.6%). Fifteen of the communities above threshold are all within districts where MDA was still ongoing by 2016. Conclusions The MDA programme of the Ghana Health Services has reduced mf prevalence in sentinel sites below the 1% threshold in 81/98 endemic districts in Ghana, yet 15 communities within 13 districts (MDA ongoing by 2016) had higher prevalence than this threshold during the surveys in 2013 and 2014. These districts may need to intensify interventions to achieve the WHO 2020 target., Author summary Lymphatic filariasis (LF) control in Ghana has relied on ivermectin and albendazole since the year 2000 when the Ghana Filariasis Elimination Programme started. We analyzed trends in microfilaraemia prevalence during MDA, reported coverage, and transmission assessment survey using data obtained from the Ghana Health Services (GHS). The median reported treatment coverage varied between 77–80% over the years. Our results show that the treatment in Ghana made a significant impact in reducing infections
- Published
- 2018
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