Dr. Omane Boamah’s Appeal to Government to Pay Attention to CSM in the Upper West Region, Triggers Public Discussion
The Covid-19 disease is stealing attention from other deadly diseases killing people.
Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) has killed a number of people in the Upper West Region within three months.
According to Mrs. Justinal Zoyah-Diedong, the Upper West Region Control Officer, the region has recorded close to 200 cases in 11 districts and municipalities in the region. The disease has become an annual health problem in the region and other parts of the country. She said, the number of deaths was higher than eight deaths recorded the previous year. The number of cases has increased to over 200 with close to 40 deaths so far.
Some traditional leaders and residents of the Upper West Region are calling on government to release vaccines for Cerebrospinal Meningitis following the increase in the number of confirmed cases and related deaths in the region.
Dr. Omane Boamah, the former Communication Minister, last week through a text message to the host of Good morning Ghana, expressed concerns about the development and appealed to government to pay attention to the situation in the region.
Government and health authorities are more focused on the coronavirus because of the severity of the disease. This has overshadowed the focus on Cerebrospinal meningitis cases in the region and the havoc it is causing in the region.
Dr Omane’s call triggered discussions on the issue on other media platforms.
Meanwhile, former President John Mahama has donated medical supplies to help fight meningitis and Covid-19 in the Upper West Region. The items worth GH 50,000 comprised of boxes of anti meningitis cerium and personal protective equipment (PPE).
The three northern regions of Ghana are located within the Meningitis belt which covers about 25 countries with around 450 million people.
Early case detection and prompt response to outbreak appears to be the most effective tool for dealing with the disease hence the appeal by Dr Omane Boamah to government to act promptly.
