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The Western Region has emerged as the epicentre of Ghana’s latest monkeypox outbreak, accounting for over 71% of all confirmed cases nationwide.
This alarming development has prompted the Western Regional Health Directorate to activate its public health emergency response system to contain the fast-spreading virus.
Speaking at the Western Regional Development Retreat in Essipong, Chief Pharmacist Kwadwo Okyere Apenteng, on behalf of the Regional Health Director, revealed that the region had recorded its first case on May 23 in Tarkwa, and numbers have surged rapidly since.
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“As it stands, elevated, we have 187 suspected cases and 43 confirmed cases. Monkeypox is in the country, and the Western Region alone accounts for more than 71% of all confirmed infections,” Apenteng stated.
In response, the Directorate is rolling out aggressive measures including community surveillance, contact tracing, public education, and increased testing across hotspot areas. Health professionals have also been mobilised to manage cases and prevent community transmission.
Addressing the same gathering, Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson expressed concern over the region’s strained healthcare infrastructure, highlighting the stalled renovation of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital as a major setback in dealing with the outbreak.
“Our regional hospital is undergoing some revamping, but as we speak, work is stalled,” he lamented. “I pray that very soon work will resume so we can complete it for the very purpose for which that project was started.”
The minister also appealed to the Western Regional House of Chiefs to lend their voice in advocating for the urgent completion of health projects and broader improvements to the region’s healthcare system.
The sudden rise in cases has put the Western Region on high alert and raised fears of wider national implications if the outbreak is not contained. Public health officials are urging residents to adhere strictly to health protocols and report suspected symptoms promptly.
The Ministry of Health is expected to issue further guidelines as surveillance intensifies across the country.
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