Ghana has no Mpox disease — Asiedu-Bekoe
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says the country has not recorded any case of Monkeypox disease (Mpox).
It said claims of an outbreak in the country were a case of data misrepresentation.
The Director of Public Health, Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, who refuted the claim stressed that there was no reported case in Ghana presently.
He was reacting to a report by the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (ECOWAS-RCSDC) captioned “confirmed Mpox cases in the ECOWAS region — Cumulative from week one to week 33”.
The report said “Four confirmed cases and zero deaths of Mpox have been reported in Ghana”, adding that “since the beginning of the outbreak in 2022, a total of 131 confirmed cases and zero death of Mpox have been reported from Ghana”.
He said though Ghana recorded 120 cases of Mpox in 2022 and eight cases in 2023 respectively, there had been no reported case in 2024, despite an outbreak in Africa and whatever action being taken was a precautionary measure.
Mpox
Mpox is a zoonotic disease caused by a virus that belongs to the same family as that which causes smallpox.
It is mainly transmitted to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected rodents or primates.
Human-to-human transmission primarily occurs from close personal contact with an infected individual through respiratory droplets, direct contact with bodily fluids or indirect contact with lesion material such as contaminated clothing or bedding.
Public Health Emergency
Last Friday, the Ministry of Health in response to the recent declaration by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that Mpox was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), through the GHS, activated its emergency response plan to address the potential threat of the disease within the country.
Subsequently, the ministry issued a directive to all implementing agencies and stakeholders to heighten surveillance systems at all levels, saying the directive included enhanced monitoring at Points of Entry (such as airports and border crossings) and increased vigilance within communities nationwide.
Also, in light of the WHO’s declaration and the potential risk of Mpox spreading, the ministry has advised the general public to utilise the available healthcare facilities provided by the GHS and teaching hospitals for any symptoms or concerns related to Mpox.
Breakdown
An African Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Intelligence Report document, dated August 16, 2024, which was made available to the Daily Graphic said so far, Africa has recorded 3,101 confirmed human cases, 15,636 suspected human cases with 541 human deaths making a case fatality ration (CFR) of 2.89 per cent.
Giving a breakdown, the report said since the beginning of this year, a total of 18,737 cases, that is 3,101 confirmed; 15,636 suspected and 541 deaths, making a case fatality rate (CFR) of 2.89 per cent of Mpox have been reported from 12 African Union (AU) Member States (MS).
Symptoms of Monkeypox typically appear within five to 16 days after exposure but can develop up to 21 days.
Symptoms generally include fever, headache, muscle aches and backaches; swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a distinctive rash characterised by lesions that progress through several stages before falling off.