By Philip Tengzu
Wa, (UW/R), Feb.13, GNA – The latest Meningitis data from the Upper West Regional Health Directorate indicates that the Nadowli-Kaleo District has reached its epidemic threshold in the fifth week since the region began recording Meningitis cases.
The data indicated that the Nadowli-Kaleo District and the Nandom Municipality had recorded the highest number of Meningitis cases with the two districts reaching their alert threshold in weeks three and four.
Dr Damien Punguyire, the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, revealed this in a presentation on the Meningitis situation in the region during a working visit of Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, to the region.
The region has so far recorded 94 suspected cases of Meningitis, 20 confirmed cases, and 14 deaths with 16 new cases recorded this week.
The Directorate also reported that, at the time of the Minister’s visit, 19 Meningitis patients were on admission with three of them, including two newborns in critical condition.
The meningitis cases were reported from eight out of the eleven districts and municipalities in the region – Nandom, Jirapa, Wa and Sissala East Municipalities; Nadowli, Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (DBI), Lambussie and Wa West Districts.
The Nadowli-Kaleo District recorded seven confirmed cases with five deaths; Nandom Municipal recorded four confirmed cases with three deaths; Lambussie recorded two confirmed cases with one death; Jirapa recorded one confirmed case with two deaths.
The rest were: Wa Municipal recorded three confirmed cases with one death, and Wa West District recorded three confirmed cases with two deaths.
Mr Akandoh was in the region to assess the meningitis situation and to interact with health staff, motivating and encouraging them to increase their efforts in containing the situation.
The Health Minister, also the Member of Parliament for Juaboso Constituency in the Western North Region, was accompanied by the Acting Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Professor Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea.
Mr Akandoh urged the media in the region to support the fight against Meningitis through increased sensitisation to encourage early reporting to the health facility when one detected the symptoms – stiffness of the neck, coughing, and sneezing.
He said the media should not cause fear and panic among the public through its reportage since that could impede the fight against the menace.
Poor health-seeking behaviour of the people had been identified as one of the major factors resulting in Meningitis deaths in the region as people reported late to the health facility.
Mr Akandoh said early reporting to the facility was important because once the situation became worse it would be difficult to contain.
“The sad news is that some of them get to the hospital even already dead,” he lamented.
“Diseases do not know colour, gender, or religion. So, let’s all (the media) be part of the sensitisation so that we can fight the disease and fight it well,” he stated.
GNA