The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a public health emergency regarding the Mpox disease in Africa, prompting the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to prepare for the activation of its surveillance system nationwide.
As explained by Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, the GHS aims to use the surveillance system to identify early cases and administer treatment to prevent outbreaks.
Dr Bekoe also mentioned that the GHS would focus on raising awareness about the Mpox disease to encourage individuals to seek emergency treatment if they suspect they have been affected.
“We are going to activate our surveillance system. We are actually going to make it in such a way that there is high awareness among Ghanaians so they do not assume every rash on their body is chicken pox. So, we are going to improve on our coordination,” he said.
Dr Asiedu Bekoe warned Ghanaians to be cautious of any skin irritations that they may experience and mentioned the last occurrence of such cases in a report.
“In Ghana, our last case was in April 2023, and so far as we have had some in the past, we are going to activate our system on such cases and manage them,” he added.
The rapid spread of a new strain of Mpox has prompted the World Health Organisation to express concerns about its alarming pace.
According to the WHO report, there have been over 13,700 cases and 450 deaths recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The virus, which can cause lesions throughout the body, has extended its reach to other African countries, such as Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Kenya, and Rwanda.
This disease manifests symptoms like fever, muscle aches, and widespread body lesions and can be fatal if not treated.