Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has expressed serious concern over the persistent high numbers of meningitis cases recorded in the Upper West Region during the dry season.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, the minister revealed that the region continues to be the most affected, with alarming statistics from the current outbreak.
He noted that as of Sunday, February 16, they had recorded 129 meningitis cases, resulting in 16 fatalities and 29 patients still on admission. He revealed that the most affected districts include Wa Municipality, Nadowli-Kaleo, Wa West, Jirapa, and Nandom.
Mr. Akandoh emphasized that the situation demands urgent attention, particularly because the region consistently experiences high numbers of meningitis cases during the harmattan season.
“Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
“It manifests through symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, confusion, convulsions, and, in severe cases, coma,” he stated.
According to the minister, the disease is prevalent in Ghana’s northern regions, Bono, and Oti, which fall within the African meningitis belt that stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia adding that outbreaks are common during the dry and hot weather conditions from October to March.
Mr. Akandoh informed the House that two main pathogens are responsible for meningitis outbreaks in Ghana: Neisseria meningitis and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
According to him, while vaccination can prevent outbreaks caused by Neisseria, it does not apply to Streptococcus, the strain currently causing havoc in the Upper West Region. The minister assured Parliament that significant efforts have been made to control the outbreak, leading to a decline in new cases.
He said the Ministry of Health has deployed teams from the national level to support regional and district health teams in managing the meningitis outbreak.
All affected individuals have been exempted from paying for treatment to ensure universal access to care.
Emergency operations centers have been activated at both national and regional levels to coordinate response efforts effectively.
Additionally he noted that weekly meetings are being held with meningitis specialists from the World Health Organization (WHO) to align response strategies with international best practices.
He said an additional supply of essential antibiotics, including 10,000 vials of ceftriaxone, has been mobilized to prevent shortages. Intensive public awareness campaigns have been launched to educate people about meningitis symptoms and encourage early reporting to health facilities.
He added that the Ministry has engaged traditional and opinion leaders to raise awareness and foster community participation in the response.
High-level visits have been conducted by the Health Minister and the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service to assess the situation and provide support to affected communities. He added that the WHO has deployed experts to assist in managing the outbreak and improving response efforts.
