Health News of Monday, 25 July 2022
Source: rainbowradioonline.com
Ghana’s monkeypox cases have shot up to 34 with six regions recording cases and the Greater Accra Region having the highest number of cases.
Details show that the region tops the chart with more than 50% of the recorded cases.
Per the data released by the Ghana Health Service the regions that have recorded cases are Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Eastern, and Upper West.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday [July 24, 2022], the Director General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said District Rapid Response Teams and Case Management Teams have been oriented on Monkeypox Outbreak Response Measures and that dissemination of WHO Preliminary Guidelines on Case Management are underway.
He further disclosed that the GHS is collaborating with Veterinary Services Department, to conduct assessments in the affected communities, Contact Tracing and follow-up, and Enhanced education in schools and communities.
He indicated that despite the several challenges and strain on Ghana’s Public Health System and the several public health emergencies as well as the risk of widespread Monkeypox cases, it does not pose a major threat.
He further assured the public that the threat of Marburg virus disease spread exists but is low.
He urged the public to adhere to safety protocols and infection prevention and control strategies.
He said one other important thing the GHS will do is to strengthen surveillance activities for early detection and adequate containment.
The World Health Organization declared the Monkeypox global Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) outbreak on Saturday, July 23, 2022.
The classification is the highest alert that the WHO can issue and follows a worldwide upsurge in cases.
It came at the end of the second meeting of the WHO’s emergency committee on the virus.