Mpox cases surge to 85 - Public health measures prevent deaths

The Ministry of Health and its agency, Ghana Health Service (GHS), have rolled out the measures to prevent any deaths from the Monkey Pox (MPox) outbreak.

The measures, which include robust contact tracing, effective treatment and public education, have also led to the early detection of cases and containment of the disease since its outbreak on May 15, this year.

In its latest update, the Ministry of Health said it had confirmed six new cases as of last Monday, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 85, with one person on admission.

The ministry’s case update said two of the new cases were discovered in two new districts, Asante-Akim North in the Ashanti Region, and Jomoro in the Western Region.

Newly confirmed cases

Four of the six new confirmed cases are females. The new cases reported are aged between one and 35 years. 
Seven new contacts, the MoH said, had been identified bringing the total number of contacts to 701, with 88 of them having completed the follow up with no symptoms.

“Three of the newly confirmed cases were reported from North East Region, two (2) in Western Region, and one (1) in the Ashanti Region,” the update said.

From the previous eight regions in the last update, the MPox is now prevalent in 10 out of the country’s 16 regions, with the epicentres being the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality with 14 cases, the Accra Metropolis with 13 cases and the Aowin Municipality in Western North Region having 10 cases.

The Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality in the Western Region and Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western North Region have five cases each and the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis has four cases with other districts having either one or two.

Regional breakdown

The Western Region has 30 cases, the Greater Accra Region has 22 cases, the Western North Region has 18 cases; the North East Region has four cases, all in the East Mamprusi District; the Volta Region has three cases in two municipalities, with the Bono Region having two cases both in the Sunyani Municipality, the Ashanti Region has two cases in two districts, as well as three cases in the Eastern Region – Abuakwa North and New Juaben North.

Public health measures

The Ministry said there was heightened Mpox surveillance in all regions, with its regional and district public health emergency coordination structures duly activated in all affected regions, with the national oversight committee coordinating with the regional emergency coordination structures.

The ministry has organised an online webinar to sensitise healthcare workers to MPox outbreak management, with over 1,800 participants attending.

The ministry added that the National Public Health and Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) had completed sequencing for all new confirmed cases, all of which had been confirmed to be Clade II.

The ministry said it had also held an orientation for regional health promotion officers, points of entry staff, Wildlife Division and Ghana Tourist Authority staff on Mpox and their roles in prevention.

It has also engaged civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and faith-based organisations to sensitise them to the disease and their roles, while key messages and materials for public education on Mpox had been disseminated.

The Ministry of Health called for calm, saying “There is no cause for alarm.”

Symptoms, transmission

Mpox is a viral disease that presents with symptoms such as rash, fever, headache, muscle pain, backache, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

The virus spreads primarily through close contact with an infected person, animal, or contaminated surfaces and materials.