Ghana now has 79 confirmed cases of Mpox, an update from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) yesterday has indicated.According to the Service the rise in cases was due to enhanced surveillance efforts that have allowed for quicker detection and isolation of cases.While no deaths have been recorded so far, the GHS has urged the public to continue following preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease.These measures include avoiding close contact with individuals showing symptoms such as visible rashes or lesions, practicing good hand hygiene, and seeking immediate medical attention if unusual symptoms arise.Meanwhile, plans are underway for Ghana to purchase some Mpox vaccines in the wake of increasing cases in recent times.Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Director of Public Health at GHS, explained that the recent spike in human-to-human transmission has made Ghana eligible for vaccine acquisition."We are in discussions with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to secure vaccines.Last year, Ghana had no confirmed human-to-human transmission, which made us ineligible for vaccines.
However, given the current situation, it is critical that we identify high-risk groups who would benefit most from vaccination, so we can roll out effective interventions," he said in a media interview.Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said, although Mpox was generally self-limiting, the GHS was not ruling out all necessary measures to manage the outbreak and prevent further spread.Between 2022 and 2024, Ghana recorded 132 cases, including four fatalities.Globally, there are approximately 3,253 confirmed Mpoxcases reported each month, with the Africa region reporting the most, at 28,973 confirmed cases.The region's case burden is concentrated in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.The WHO last year approved several vaccines for Mpox, including MVA-BN, LC16m8, and ACAM2000, as part of the global response to the outbreak.Several African countries, including DRC, Nigeria, Rwanda, and the Central African Republic, have already begun vaccinating their populations, primarily focusing on adults aged 18 and older.Other countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Liberia have also received vaccine doses through GAVI's advance purchase agreement. BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
