21 Die of pneumococcal meningitis
Twenty-one deaths have occurred out of the 80 cases of pneumococcal meningitis disease in the Brong Ahafo Region as of yesterday (Tuesday).
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The outbreak of the disease, which was reported at Brohani in the Tain District on December 23, 2015, has so far spread to seven other districts.
These are Wenchi, Techiman North, Techiman South, Kintampo North, Kintampo South and Sene West districts, and the Sunyani Municipality.
The Deputy Director of Public Health in charge of the region, Dr Osei Kuffuor Afreh, told newsmen in Sunyani that 22 other people from the Bole District in the Northern Region were being treated at the Wenchi Methodist Hospital.
Symptoms
The symptoms associated with the disease include sudden headache, fever with very high temperature, neck stiffness and photophobia (dislike for light).
Dr Afreh described the bacteria which causes the disease as “violent and kills very fast”.
Measures
Dr Afreh explained that currently the region had embarked on a campaign to educate the people on the symptoms of the disease to enable them to report early for treatment.
He said victims, for treatment, had a high chance of survival while those who delayed after noticing the symptoms were not likely to survive.
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Dr Afreh said health workers had been trained to enable them diagnose the disease when victims were brought to health institutions, while diagnostic kits, antibiotics and other logistics had been supplied to all health institutions in the region.
Vaccination
He said currently the country did not have the vaccines to vaccinate all residents in the communities that had been affected by the disease.
“We don’t have the vaccines. We would have vaccinated everybody and gone to sleep if we have the vaccines,” he said.
He added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had been informed but the situation was being managed.
Dr Afreh added that the situation currently had not met WHO requirements for the supply of vaccines for the vaccination of the affected communities and regions.
“Now the situation is containable”, he said, explaining that WHO was supplying test kits and other logistics to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Advice
Dr Afreh advised people having symptoms of the disease to report early to nearest health facilities for them to be diagnosed.
“Since the bacteria which causes the disease is violent, it is not advisable for victims to stay home and self-medicate till the third day when the bacteria has matured to kill the victim”.
In addition, he said, since the disease was airborne, there was the need for more ventilation at enclosed areas such as classrooms and in vehicles.
He also advised against indiscriminate spitting and the situation where people sneezed and coughed without covering their noses and mouths.
Writer’s email: nanadu63@gmail.com/emmanuel.gyamerah@graphic.com.gh