As of September 6, 2022, Ghana had 84 confirmed instances of monkeypox disease, with the Greater Accra Region having the largest number of both suspected (191) and confirmed (51) cases. Across addition, there have been 535 suspected cases reported in the nation, spanning 38 districts, with four fatalities—two in the Upper East and one each in the Greater Accra and Central Regions.
This information was provided during a free online webinar (webinar) session on emerging viral infections and diseases with a focus on the monkeypox virus by Dr. Henry Nagai, the Chief of Party and Public Health Physician at the JSI Research and Training Institute, who also spoke on Ghana’s perspective.
The Global VAX Project is being implemented by the JSI in partnership with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in specific regions of the nation as part of USAID’s strengthening the Care Continuum Project. The four-hour webinar was organized by the WHO Regional Office for Africa with the aim of supporting the continental response by promoting proactive steps from African leadership to combat the monkeypox pandemic, among other goals.
In the Western, Western North, and Ahafo Regions, the JSI and its implementing partners will use their current network to mobilize persons aged 15 and older, pregnant women, people living with HIV, people with disabilities, and migrant populations to obtain COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Nagai provided a breakdown, noting that males accounted for 51 cases of the disease, or 60.7% of all cases, and that the national case fatality rate was 4.8%.
There have been 16 suspected cases reported thus far in the Bono area, nine in the Ahafo region, 69 in the Ashanti region, 15 in the Bono East region, 15 in the Bono Central region, 48 in the Eastern region, and four in the North-East region.
The Northern area has 24 suspected cases, followed by the Oti region’s 7, Savannah region’s 7, the Upper East region’s 43, the Upper West region’s 25, the Volta region’s 18 suspected cases, the Western region’s 11 suspected cases, and the Western North region’s 3 suspected cases.
In order to reduce stigma and discrimination, Dr. Nagai stated that “certain cultures feel the Monkeypox is disparaging” and urged the WHO to take this into consideration.
He praised the GHS and its partners for their help in the fight against monkeypox in the nation and said, “WHO must listen, work hard, and change the name of the illness today.”