Ghana has as of August 7, confirmed a total to 346 Mpox cases with one death.
So far cases have been recorded in 14 regions of the country.
The increasing number in cases is raising concerns among the general public.
Director in charge of public health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Franklyn Asiedu Bekoe, in an exclusive interview with 3news maintains the need for the general public to report any rash to the nearest hospital cautioning against the perceived low risk among the populace.
According to him, the disease hotspot remains the Western and Western North regions, so most interventions are channeled there.
‘‘The issue is stigma. We are trying to enhance our awareness creation. Here in Accra, it’s not loud but when you go to places like Tarkwa and parts of Western Region, there’s a lot of house-to-house visits ongoing because that’s the hot spot. I won’t say that we are doing the optimum but there are a lot going on and I think that we need to communicate that the disease is across the country.’’ He said.
He also mentioned that plans are far advanced for the Mpox vaccination rollout in the country to the target groups.
‘‘we are working with the WHO and Africa CDC to gain some vaccines, but we don’t want to place our hope on the vaccines. Because the disease is one that can be prevented so people should ensure that they are protected. When it comes the target groups will be given. But the issue is that some people have the disease and are hiding it by wearing long sleeves and some people are also sharing towels and sponges.’’ He said.
Ghanaians are encouraged to report all rashes early to the hospital.
Mpox is a characterized by symptoms such as fever, headache, swollen glands and a distinctive rash.
