Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health for the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has denied claims that Ghana registered four cases of Mpox disease in August 2024.
There is no case in 2024, and according to the Director in Charge of Public Health, the assertion was based on data falsification, and Ghana has not documented any such cases.
He was responding to an ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (ECOWAS-RCSDC) report during an interview with Graphic Online’s Rebecca Quaicoe Duho on Monday [August 19, 2024].
Mpox spreads in West Africa
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control issued an alert last Friday on the continued spread of Mpox throughout the region.
As of the conclusion of Epi Week 33 in 2024, the Centre reported 44 confirmed cases and one fatality across numerous West African nations.
The nations where instances have been reported are Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Ghana.
No cases in Ghana
However, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Director of Public Health for the Ghana Health Service, informed Graphic Online on Monday that Ghana has not documented four cases of Mpox disease.
Rather, he stated that the assertion was an example of data distortion, and that Ghana had not documented any such cases.
Mpox, or monkeypox, is a zoonotic viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus.
Monkeypox has symptoms similar to smallpox, however it is often less severe. The virus is transmitted from animal to person via direct contact with infected animals’ blood, body fluids, or sores. Human-to-human transmission takes place via respiratory droplets, contact with infected bodily fluids, or exposure to contaminated items.
Emergency Response Plan to Combat Mpox Disease
Ghana has established an emergency response plan and increased monitoring to battle the Mpox epidemic.
The action follows the World Health Organization (WHO)’s recent announcement that Mpox is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The Ministry of Health, through the Ghana Health Service, says it has activated its emergency response plan to deal with the disease’s potential threat in Ghana.
The decision is consistent with the WHO’s resolve to increase worldwide efforts to control the spread of Mpox, particularly in Africa.
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On August 14, 2024, WHO designated a large increase of Mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a rising number of African nations as a PHEIC under the International Health Regulations (2005).
Ghana surveillance
As a result, Ghana’s Ministry of Health has issued a mandate to all implementing agencies and stakeholders to strengthen surveillance systems across all levels.
This directive calls for intensified monitoring at ports of entry (such as airports and border crossings) as well as increased vigilance in communities around the country.
The Ghana Health Service has also provided specific technical guidance on Mpox symptoms and the actions required for early detection, reporting, and treatment.
According to a statement made by the Ministry of Health on Friday evening [August 16, 2024], whereas Ghana registered 120 cases of Mpox in 2022 and 8 cases in 2023, there have been no reported instances in 2024.
However, the Ministry remains cautious and advises citizens to take proactive steps to prevent an outbreak of the disease.
The Ministry recommends the public to seek healthcare from the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals if they experience symptoms or concerns linked to Mpox, given the WHO’s announcement and probable danger of spreading.
