Ghanaian health authorities have brought the recent yellow fever outbreak under control while stepping up nationwide surveillance and targeted vaccination campaigns to prevent further spread.
Speaking during a press briefing on the situation, Health Minister Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh revealed that a total of 450 suspected cases have been logged across all 16 regions. The Upper West Region remains the primary hotspot, accounting for 88 of those suspected cases, with three officially confirmed by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research reference laboratory.
Across the Upper West Region, suspected cases are spread across several districts, including Wa West, Sissala West, Sissala East, Efiama Msua Busa, Nadowli-Kaleo, Wa East, Wa West Municipal, and the Funsi area. Public health teams are currently investigating a number of reported deaths in the affected zones, though officials maintain that none can be attributed to yellow fever without definitive laboratory verification.
To curb transmission, the Ministry of Health is expanding its immunisation strategy beyond routine infant shots to cover residents aged between nine months and 60 years in high-risk zones.
The Ministry has formally requested an extra 187,000 vaccine doses, with deployment teams already prepared to begin field operations across the Upper West Region.
Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, clarified that yellow fever is vector-borne and transmitted exclusively through mosquito bites rather than direct human contact.
He urged the public to take active preventive measures, including applying insect repellent, wearing long protective clothing, and sleeping under bed nets, emphasizing that vector mosquitoes are particularly active during daytime hours.
Addressing public concern, Hon. Akandoh urged calm and warned against the spread of conspiracy theories and unverified reports surrounding the vaccines. He called on residents to rely strictly on official directives from health experts and to participate fully in the upcoming vaccination drive.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana