The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has dispatched a team of experts to the Upper West Region to help fight the increasing number of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) cases in the area.
This follows a rise in the number of CSM cases from 214 to 258. The number of deaths has also increased from 37 to 40.
Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih who disclosed these in an interview with Citi Newssaid one of the experts arrived from Accra yesterday, Thursday while two others are expected in the region today Friday.
Last week, the GHS commenced an audit of the CSM related deaths in the Upper West Region.
The outcome of the audit is to enable the Ghana Health Service to review treatment protocols on the endemic to prevent the recurrence of the high incidence of deaths in the region.
The Regional Health Directorate has cited the Nadowli Kaleo district and the Nandom municipality as the hardest-hit areas.
Meningitis can lead to serious long-term consequences such as deafness, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, or cognitive deficits, especially if not treated quickly.
In 2015, meningitis occurred in about 8.7 million people worldwide which resulted in 379,000 deaths.
The Upper West Regional Director of health services, Dr. Osei Kuffuor Afreh has also expressed worry over the failure of most residents in the Upper West Region to adhere to safety protocols to help reduce meningitis in the area.
The Ministry of Health has been asked to pay attention to the growing number of cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in the Upper West Region.
Presenting a statement in Parliament, to rally support for enhanced action, the Wa Central Legislator, Rashid Pelpuo called for the immediate application of known remedies to halt the havoc it is causing in that part of the country.
Source: Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
