Free ivermectin tablets go house to house in 86 districts from Sunday. Pregnant women, small children and the seriously ill should not take them.

Published 13 Nov 2026, 19:37 GMT

2 min read

A CHPS community health compound at Kakpagyili in the Northern Region — A community health compound at Kakpagyili, Northern Region (file photo).

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The Ghana Health Service opens round two of its 2026 mass drug administration against river blindness on Sunday, November 15, in 86 endemic districts across 15 regions.

Free ivermectin tablets will be distributed house to house by trained health workers and community drug distributors as Ghana pushes to eliminate the disease by 2030.

River blindness, or onchocerciasis, comes from a parasitic worm passed on by infected blackflies breeding in fast-flowing rivers. The World Health Organisation says it causes severe itching, disfiguring skin disease and can end in permanent blindness.

Distributors will dose the tablets by height. The Service says pregnant women, children under 90 centimetres tall, mothers breastfeeding babies under one week old and people who are seriously ill should not take the medicine.

Eligible residents are urged to take the tablets immediately as directed, and to report any adverse reaction to a distributor or the nearest health facility.

Director-General Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea announced the round in Accra on Thursday at a press briefing. Treatment districts are down from 152 to 86 since the national programme began in 1997.

The first round began on June 20 and reached more than 4.8 million people, putting national treatment coverage at 86.1 per cent. Before it, regional teams had mobilised the same way, with the Upper West directorate launching its campaign in June.

Registration gaps left some eligible people out, the Service acknowledged. It is shoring up household registration through the Free Primary Healthcare initiative, with closer supervision and trial electronic data collection in selected districts.

Dr Manal Taryam, chief executive of Dubai's Noor Dubai Foundation, which is supporting the programme, said the programme gets a US$7.7 million three-year grant from Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives for twice-yearly treatment, disease surveillance and training.

Her foundation projects the work will reach more than five million people a year and bring over US$410 million in economic benefits across three decades.

Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Service's Director of Public Health, said collective effort and continued support from partners would be needed to eliminate river blindness in Ghana.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

Free river blindness tablets go house to house in 86 districts from Sunday

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