Making the Case for Investing in Neglected Tropical Diseases in Ghana

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent a significant threat to health and development. They affect more than 1.5 billion people globally, with 39 percent of the burden occurring in Africa. In addition to the 200,000 lives and 19 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost each year, delayed treatment of NTDs can cause debilitating and disfiguring disabilities, leading to stigmatization, social exclusion, discrimination, and increased financial pressures on individuals and their families. This report evaluates the potential impact of scaling up a comprehensive set of health interventions aimed at reducing the prevalence of three NTDs in Ghana: lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis and leprosy. It estimates that the economic benefits of intervention would significantly outweigh the costs of the interventions, with combined returns on investment across the inventions evaluated ranging from 1.8 to 7.2, based on varying assumptions.