Integrating neglected tropical diseases into primary healthcare services in Ghana: Results from an initial pilot
7 affiliations
- 1World Vision Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
- 2World Vision USA, Federal Way, Washington, United States of America.
- 3Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
- 4Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana.
- 5Centre for Health Information Management (CHIM), Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana.
- 6FHI 360 Country Office, Accra, Ghana.
- 7School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Abstract
Background: Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) affect billions globally, including a significant burden in Ghana where at least two NTDs are endemic in every district. Integrating NTD services into primary health care (PHC) is critical for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and meeting the 2021–2030 NTD roadmap goals. This study piloted the integration of Ghana Health Service NTD indicators into the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) home visit register in Ghana to assess the feasibility of this approach for national scale-up. Methods: A pilot implementation study was conducted in three districts representing different ecological zones in Ghana: Kassena Nankana West (northern), Nkwanta South (middle), and Ga South (southern). Following stakeholder workshops, the existing Community Health Officers’ (CHOs) home visit register was revised to include seven key NTD clinical indicators (blood in urine, skin lesions, visible deformities, eye complications, lymphoedema or swelling, suspected hydrocele and presence of a deep skin wound). A total of 64 Community Health Officers (CHOs) were trained to use the revised register during routine household visits over a three-month period (September to December 2023). Data on NTD cases identification, referrals, and referral compliance were collected and analyzed descriptively. Results: A total of 1,932 home visits were conducted across 34 health facilities resulting in 1,117 suspected cases (observations of NTD-related indicators) identified, 615 referrals made with 67% compliance and district level compliance ranging from 6.5% to 92.1%. CHOs successfully identified various NTD-related conditions, with distinct geographical patterns observed. Blood in urine was most frequently reported in Ga South, while lymphoedema and eye-related complications were more commonly reported in Kassena Nankana West. The varying patient compliance with the referrals suggests important contextual differences in linkage to care. Over 85% of trained health workers were actively implementing their new skills. Conclusion: Integrating NTD surveillance into the CHPS platform is feasible and yields valuable epidemiological data. However, the success of integration hinges not only on case detection but also on strengthening the linkage to care. The significant disparity in referral compliance highlights a critical health system bottleneck that must be addressed to ensure integrated services translate into improved health outcomes. Author summary: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations and remain a major public health challenge in Ghana, where multiple NTDs occur in every district. Integrating NTD services into routine primary health care is essential to improve early detection, referral, and access to care, and to support Ghana’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage. In this study, we explored whether NTD surveillance could be practically incorporated into the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) system, which delivers healthcare directly to households.
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BibTeX
@article{dadzie2026integrating,
title = {{Integrating neglected tropical diseases into primary healthcare services in Ghana: Results from an initial pilot}},
author = {Awurabena Quayeba Dadzie and Solomon Akwasi Ananya and Jean Jacques Ngamaleu Tougoue and Ruth Dede Tuwor and Michael Nkrumah-Appau and Joseph Kwadwo Larbi Opare and Ernest Mensah and Kwame Amankwah Bimpeh and Leslie Tetteh Gberbie and Abigail Agbanyo and Irene Dzathor and Bernadette Agbavor and Richard Odame Phillips and Yaw Ampem Amoako},
journal = {PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0014792},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014792},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrating neglected tropical diseases into primary healthcare services in Ghana: Results from an initial pilot
AU - Awurabena Quayeba Dadzie
AU - Solomon Akwasi Ananya
AU - Jean Jacques Ngamaleu Tougoue
AU - Ruth Dede Tuwor
AU - Michael Nkrumah-Appau
AU - Joseph Kwadwo Larbi Opare
AU - Ernest Mensah
AU - Kwame Amankwah Bimpeh
AU - Leslie Tetteh Gberbie
AU - Abigail Agbanyo
AU - Irene Dzathor
AU - Bernadette Agbavor
AU - Richard Odame Phillips
AU - Yaw Ampem Amoako
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014792
UR - https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014792
AB - Background: Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) affect billions globally, including a significant burden in Ghana where at least two NTDs are endemic in every district. Integrating NTD services into primary health care (PHC) is critical for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and meeting the 2021–2030 NTD roadmap goals. This study piloted the integration of Ghana Health Service NTD indicators into the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) home visit register in Ghana to assess the feasibility of this approach for national scale-up. Methods: A pilot implementation study was conducted in three districts representing different ecological zones in Ghana: Kassena Nankana West (northern), Nkwanta South (middle), and Ga South (southern). Following stakeholder workshops, the existing Community Health Officers’ (CHOs) home visit register was revised to include seven key NTD clinical indicators (blood in urine, skin lesions, visible deformities, eye complications, lymphoedema or swelling, suspected hydrocele and presence of a deep skin wound). A total of 64 Community Health Officers (CHOs) were trained to use the revised register during routine household visits over a three-month period (September to December 2023). Data on NTD cases identification, referrals, and referral compliance were collected and analyzed descriptively. Results: A total of 1,932 home visits were conducted across 34 health facilities resulting in 1,117 suspected cases (observations of NTD-related indicators) identified, 615 referrals made with 67% compliance and district level compliance ranging from 6.5% to 92.1%. CHOs successfully identified various NTD-related conditions, with distinct geographical patterns observed. Blood in urine was most frequently reported in Ga South, while lymphoedema and eye-related complications were more commonly reported in Kassena Nankana West. The varying patient compliance with the referrals suggests important contextual differences in linkage to care. Over 85% of trained health workers were actively implementing their new skills. Conclusion: Integrating NTD surveillance into the CHPS platform is feasible and yields valuable epidemiological data. However, the success of integration hinges not only on case detection but also on strengthening the linkage to care. The significant disparity in referral compliance highlights a critical health system bottleneck that must be addressed to ensure integrated services translate into improved health outcomes. Author summary: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations and remain a major public health challenge in Ghana, where multiple NTDs occur in every district. Integrating NTD services into routine primary health care is essential to improve early detection, referral, and access to care, and to support Ghana’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage. In this study, we explored whether NTD surveillance could be practically incorporated into the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) system, which delivers healthcare directly to households.
SN - 1935-2735
SN - 1935-2727
ER -