In 2022, 116 confirmed instances of monkeypox in 14 of the 16 regions of Ghana, resulting in four fatalities.
One death each was reported in the Greater Accra and Central areas, as well as two in the Upper East.
Dr. Farida Abdulai, the Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said that there were no instances in the Savannah or Ahafo regions at a community stakeholder engagement at Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.
To inform the public about ways to combat the disease, it was organized by the GHS in association with the USAID Breakthrough Action-Ghana initiative.
A 13-day-old baby who contracted the illness and died was mentioned by Dr. Abdulai as proof that monkeypox can strike anyone, regardless of age.
However, the majority of the confirmed cases ranged in age from 16 to 39.
She claimed that the disease was renamed “Mpox” in August 2022 to reduce stigma, and that it transmitted via respiratory droplets and close contact with an affected person’s rashes.
Dr. Abdulai listed rashes, coughing, colds, backaches, sore throats, weakness, and severe fever with a body temperature of more than 38 degrees Celsius as symptoms.
Therefore, whenever you encounter these symptoms, get quick medical help, she said, adding that a free lab test would be performed to determine whether or not one has the virus.
The National Public Health Reference Lab is then consulted to corroborate the outcome.
Dr. Abdulai advised against using alcohol or taking a sea bath to treat the illness because such were only urban legends.
She said, “Seek proper health care services instead; those are not the cure for the illness.”
