The government has intensified its response to a yellow fever outbreak in the Upper West Region, deploying a National Rapid Response Team after three cases were confirmed and 74 suspected cases were recorded.
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, disclosed that the intervention was aimed at strengthening disease surveillance, improving case management and containing the spread of the disease.
As of October 7, 2026, three cases had been confirmed in the region, while approximately 450 suspected cases had been recorded nationwide between June and September this year.
Mr Akandoh, however, cautioned against public panic, stressing that although yellow fever outbreaks required urgent attention, the situation was not yet out of control.
“With yellow fever, the guideline is that when you record more than one or two, it’s enough to declare an outbreak, but it is not out of hand,” he said.
He urged the public to rely on verified information from official sources rather than unconfirmed reports that could fuel unnecessary fear.
The minister made the remarks at a stakeholder engagement in Accra to discuss the health sector’s priorities, progress, challenges and future direction.
As part of the containment measures, he said a national response team had been deployed to the northern part of the country, while affected health facilities had been demarcated and appropriate isolation measures instituted.
Ghana strengthens preparedness against Ebola
Beyond the yellow fever outbreak, Mr Akandoh said Ghana was closely monitoring developments concerning Ebola in other parts of Africa and strengthening its preparedness to prevent a possible importation of the disease.
He emphasised that no Ebola case had been recorded in Ghana but said the government was taking precautionary measures to ensure the country could promptly identify and manage any suspected infection.
“We have put a lot of measures in place, including strengthened surveillance at the country’s entry points, laboratories and isolation facilities to ensure that suspected cases are promptly detected and managed,” he said.
The measures, he added, formed part of broader efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to infectious disease threats.
The government’s response comes as health authorities work to contain the yellow fever outbreak in the Upper West Region while maintaining vigilance against other emerging public health threats.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
