To Fight Against the Stigma of Skin NTDs in Ghana by Sensitising Religious Leaders on the Topic of NTDs

In some parts of Ghana, being diagnosed with Hansen’s disease or yaws is often tantamount to discrimination.

This project thus aims to reduce the social stigma associated with skin NTDs in the Assin South District in the Central Region and in the Suhum Municipal District in the Eastern Region, as well as raising awareness of the importance of early detection.

Religious leaders in the areas where we act are also opinion leaders for their communities. The aim of this project is to sensitise them to join the fight against this stigma and to support inclusion.

Furthermore, with the help of the programme’s managers, there will be direct and regular communication with the health authorities in the districts concerned to raise awareness and provide support. To do this, the following activities have been proposed:

• Sensitising community religious leaders to encourage change in their attitudes and discourse towards skin NTDs.
• Creating and distributing sensitisation materials on skin NTDs.
• Detecting cases in the community.

Via this project we will raise awareness among key figures in the communities where people affected by NTDs live; this will contribute to combating the stigma and discrimination associated with these diseases and empower the people affected by them, thus encouraging their social inclusion.