Wenchi: Mr James Amaniapong, the Wenchi Municipal Disease Control Officer in the Bono Region, has announced that the municipal health directorate has commenced a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) exercise to control the spread of Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.
According to Ghana News Agency, the exercise, scheduled between June 20 and July 3, 2026, targets vaccinating 141,721 individuals, including children above five years, against Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, and lymphatic filariasis, commonly referred to as elephantiasis, within the municipality.
In an interview at Wenchi, Mr Amaniapong specified that pregnant women, lactating mothers, and individuals with underlying health conditions are excluded from the exercise. He reported that the exercise has so far vaccinated 9,092 individuals, accounting for 6.4 percent of the target population. The directorate has trained community drug administration and health workers who are conducting the vaccination exercise throughout the communities.
Mr Amaniapong highlighted a rise in new cases of elephantiasis and urged the community to participate in the exercise to help control the situation.