Consequently, it has intensified surveillance on all nomads known to have been the lead agents for the spread of the deadly disease in parts of the country.

Dr Akosua Owusu-Sarpong, Regional Director of the GHS, disclosed this at the Regional Coordinating Council meeting in Cape Coast.

The GHS, on Friday, October 29, notified the public about an outbreak of yellow fever in some districts in the Savannah Region, with eight deaths reported.

The outbreak was confirmed after initial laboratory tests were conducted by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory.

The outbreak of yellow fever, initially detected in the Savanna Region, has now spread to Wa East District in the Upper West Region, claiming 25 lives.

According to Dr Akosua Owusu-Sarpong, Central Regional Health Director, nomads have proven difficult to be vaccinated due to their movements from place to place to find fresh pasture for their animals.

“What we have identified is that the yellow fever is occurring among the nomads’ group, because they are not allowing us to vaccinate them so we need to look at it in our region,” she said.

All District Directors have been tasked to track the nomads in their areas of jurisdiction for prompt vaccination to avoid an outbreak in the region.

“We are on high alert. We have intensified surveillance on yellow fever so that anybody that comes to our facilities would be detected and isolated for medical care,” she reassured.

Serving about three million population with more than half being children, she said the GHS was ready to bring quality health care services to all in the 22 operating districts with 34 hospitals and 13 polyclinics aside the numerous Community based Health Planning and Services compounds.

On COVID-19, she said the region had recorded 4,862 cases since its outbreak with three active cases as of November 17.

She announced that, of the eligible 1,450,582 people, about 46,592 had been fully vaccinated in the region, adding that coverage for at least one dose was 17 percent.

She mentioned vaccine hesitancy as one big challenge to the vaccination exercise but assured that health professionals were equal to the task.

They are also engaging various stakeholders and enhancing risk communication activities to improve adherence to protocols and vaccine uptake.

The infection was announced as an outbreak by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on October 29, 2021.

Some 18 others are also on admission at some health facilities and are being treated for the virus.

A statement from the GHS indicates that a team of experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centre for Disease Control was dispatched to the region to investigate the outbreak and enforce control measures.

Following their engagement with stakeholders in the affected areas and thorough assessment, a decision has been taken to dispatch 50,300 doses of Yellow Fever vaccines from GHS headquarters to some selected districts for inoculation.

An update, signed by Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, explained that over 43,615 persons in the Savannah Region have been vaccinated as part of the intervention.

The GHS Director-General further added that his outfit will “continue with efforts aimed at improving outcomes for persons who are unfortunately affected while continuing with the vaccination drive to improve the immunity of the population against Yellow Fever.”

Below is the full statement:

This brings to 14 the number of persons — comprising a male adult and 13 children — who are suspected to have died of the disease so far.

Twenty-two persons, who contracted the disease, are currently on admission at the West Gonja Municipal Hospital in Damongo, while 17 others have been treated and discharged from the same facility.

The Savannah Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Chrysantus Kubio, told the Daily Graphic that all the cases were recorded in the West Gonja Municipality and the North Gonja District.

He said the new cases were recorded after the regional health directorate intensified its surveillance in the various communities, adding that most of the initial deaths were due to the delay in reporting to the health facilities.

Dr Kubio indicated that the directorate had dispatched medical personnel to the affected communities to vaccinate and screen the residents.

“There is no cause for alarm because we are doing everything possible to contain the situation,” he assured.

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He advised the residents to report early to the health facilities for medical checkups when they detected any signs and symptoms of the disease.

Outbreak

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) recently issued an alert over the outbreak of suspected yellow fever in the Savannah Region, with eight persons having died of the suspected disease.

A statement signed by the Director-General of GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said the deceased persons were nomads in the West and North Gonja districts who had never been vaccinated against yellow fever.

“Avoid mosquito bites by wearing clothing that covers all parts of the body, and report to the nearest health facility if you have a fever and especially when you have yellowish discoloration of your eyes,” the statement advised.