The WHO yaws eradication strategy calls for rounds of total community treatment (or mass drug administration, which involves treating entire populations) and total targeted treatment (treating cases and their contacts), to identify cases, then treat and cure them, putting a stop to ongoing transmission.
Since 2019, the Access and Delivery Partnership (ADP) has supported the National Buruli Ulcer Control and Yaws Eradication Programme of the Ghana Health Service in its efforts to eradicate yaws. This has been through support for implementation research and strengthening of national capacities for community-based mass drug administration using the antibiotic azithromycin, which cures yaws after a single dose.
Implementation research—a systematic approach to understanding and addressing localized barriers to effective and quality implementation of health interventions, strategies and policies—is a key pillar of the ADP approach to support countries to introduce and scale up new health technologies.
At the start of 2020, as part of preparatory-phase activities, a 30-day endemicity mapping survey was conducted in the West Akim district of Eastern Ghana to collect relevant information from affected communities. The survey involved interviews with local leaders and community members about where and when yaws was occurring.