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The Director in charge of Public Health under the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, has refuted claims that Ghana has recorded four cases of the Mpox disease in August 2024.
There is no case in 2024 and according to the Director in charge of Public Health, the claim was a case of data misrepresentation, and that Ghana has not recorded any such case.
He was reacting to a report by the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (ECOWAS-RCSDC) in an interview with Graphic Online's Rebecca Quaicoe Duho on Monday [August 19, 2024].
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control last Friday raised an alarm over the continued spread of Mpox in the region.
The Centre said as of the end of Epi Week 33 in 2024, there had been 44 confirmed cases and one death across several West African countries.
It named the countries where cases have been recorded as Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Ghana.
No case in Ghana
But Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, who is the Director in charge of Public Health under the Ghana Health Service told Graphic Online on Monday that Ghana has not recorded four cases of the Mpox disease.
Rather, he said the claim was a case of data misrepresentation, and that Ghana has not recorded any such case.
Mpox, or monkeypox, is a zoonotic viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, part of the Orthopoxvirus genus.
Although the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox, it is generally less severe. The virus spreads from animals to humans through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or lesions of infected animals. Human-to-human transmission occurs through respiratory droplets, contact with infected body fluids, or exposure to contaminated objects.
Ghana has activated an emergency response plan and heightened surveillance to combat Mpox disease
The move is in response to the recent declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) that Mpox is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The Ministry of Health, through the Ghana Health Service says it has activated its emergency response plan to address the potential threat of the disease within Ghana.
The move aligns with the WHO's determination to intensify global efforts in combating the spread of Mpox, particularly in Africa.
On August 14, 2024, WHO identified the significant upsurge of Mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and an increasing number of countries across Africa as constituting a PHEIC under the International Health Regulations (2005).
Ghana surveillance
Consequently, the Ministry of Health in Ghana has issued a directive to all implementing agencies and stakeholders to heighten surveillance systems at all levels.
This directive includes enhanced monitoring at Points of Entry (such as airports and border crossings) and increased vigilance within communities nationwide.
The Ghana Health Service has also released a detailed technical advice on the symptoms of Mpox and the necessary steps for early detection, reporting, and treatment.
The Ministry of Health in a statement issued Friday evening [August 16, 2024] said while Ghana recorded 120 cases of Mpox in 2022 and 8 cases in 2023 respectively, there has been no reported cases in 2024.
However, the Ministry remains vigilant and urges the public to take proactive measures to prevent a resurgence of the disease.
In light of the WHO's declaration and the potential risk of Mpox spreading, the Ministry advises the general public to utilize the available healthcare facilities provided by the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals for any symptoms or concerns related to Mpox.
