Six more cases of meningitis fatalities have been recorded in the Upper West Region, bringing the total number of deaths to 10 since January 2024.
The first four death cases were recorded in February 2024.
Earlier, the Upper West regional health directorate reported a total of 124 suspected cases of meningitis, with 34 of these cases being officially confirmed.
Dr. Collins Boateng Danquah, the Deputy Director of Health in charge of Public Health in the Upper West, speaking in an interview, stressed the importance of early reporting and public sensitization efforts to combat the outbreak.
He also commended the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for providing essential logistics that help in the identification and confirmation of suspected cases.
Dr. Danquah underscored that the Wa West District currently leads with the highest number of confirmed cases at four, while the Jirapa Municipal District has reported the lowest number of confirmed cases, with one death.
“The number of confirmed cases in the Upper West is currently 34 as of week 10 of 2024, with 10 deaths. The highest number of confirmed cases is coming from Wa West, followed by Nandom Municipal with three deaths, Nadowli with two deaths, and one confirmed death from Jirapa,” he noted.
The breakdown of confirmed cases includes nine in Wa West, seven in Wa Municipal, five in Nandom, five in Nadowli, seven in Jirapa, and one in Lambussie.
Dr. Collins Boateng Danquah also stressed that bacterial meningitis constitutes the predominant global burden of the disease.