The Ministry of Health has declared a Yellow Fever outbreak in parts of the Upper West Region after laboratory tests confirmed three cases, all of which resulted in deaths.
In a statement issued on October 9, the Ministry said suspected cases involving fever, jaundice and bleeding were reported at health facilities in Sissala West and Wa West from September 9. Further tests at a World Health Organisation-accredited laboratory in Dakar, Senegal, confirmed the infections.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has declared the outbreak, while the Ghana Health Service has activated national and regional emergency operations centres and deployed rapid response teams to affected communities.
The Ministry is also preparing an emergency vaccination campaign in Wa West, Sissala West and Sissala East this October, alongside intensified surveillance, public education and treatment at designated health facilities.
The public has been urged to seek immediate medical attention for sudden fever, headache, muscle pain, yellowing of the eyes or skin, or unusual bleeding. Residents have also been advised to avoid self-medication, use mosquito repellents and insecticide-treated nets, and eliminate stagnant water around their homes.
