Eighteen people have died from Meningitis within the first 10 weeks of the year in the Upper West Region. This represents a sharp rise from 4 persons who died of the same cause during the same period last year.
Suspected cases however reduced from 182 last year to 137 this year.
Speaking at the Regional Emergency Epidemic Management Committee Meeting to address issues pertaining to the novel Corona Virus and Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM), the Regional Disease Control Officer, Madam Justina Zoyah-Diedong mentioned the Nadowli-Kaleo District as the area with the most suspected cases and deaths.
The district recorded 50 suspected cases within the first 10 weeks of the year with 7 deaths. This was followed by Nandom with 43 suspected cases with 5 deaths. The Jirapa area also recorded 19 suspected cases with 5 deaths within the same period with Lawra recording a single case.
Madam Zoyah-Diedong indicated that per the available data, the Sissala East Municipality, Sissala West District and the Wa East District have all not recorded any cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis so far.
The Regional Disease Control Officer said the cases are often high in the region due to its geographical location. She also named the high and unpredictable temperatures that are recorded throughout the year as another factor that makes the region susceptible to Meningitis. Other factors are overcrowding in rooms, low ventilations as well as the long dry and dusty season the region experiences.
As part of the activities to reduce the incidence of Meningitis, Madam Zoyah-Diedong mentioned that health workers sensitized community members on the need for early reporting of cases to health facilities. There have also been ongoing engagements about Meningitis at the OPDs of the health facilities.
Despite these measures, the Regional Disease Control Officer mentioned that community resident still report cases to the health facilities. There were also low turnouts to the communities durbars organised by the health staff as well as the challenge of inadequate funding.
Story by Mark Smith.
