Measles Cases Spreading Fast In Ashanti Region

Health authorities in the Ashanti Region are alarmed by the rising cases of measles and rubella, which have seen an increase of over 100 percent in the past two years.

Despite intensified efforts by health officials to curb the spread of these diseases, the numbers continue to rise. In 2021, four cases were reported; this increased to 24 cases in 2022 and 79 cases in 2023.

So far in 2024, there have been an alarming 119 cases.

Dr. Fred Adomako Boateng, the incoming Director of the Ghana Health Service in the Ashanti Region, attributed this surge to gaps in vaccine administration.

He made this statement during the launch of a supplementary campaign for measles and rubella vaccination, scheduled to take place from October 2 to October 6, 2024.

“As the number of unvaccinated children rises, the likelihood of outbreaks is very high. And if you will bear with us, remember last year, some of the northside and even here, we started having a lot of measles cases. Measles-rubella’s complications are something that you cannot really pay for.

“And you never know who is going to be at risk and I believe that you don’t want your child to have to be blind or to be deaf. And this is the opportunity that you have that you can vaccinate your child against measles and rubella.”

Nationwide immunization exercise

In another development, the Ghana Health Service has announced plans to embark on a nationwide immunization exercise for measles, targeted at children between the ages of nine months to 59 months.

The immunization programme is set to commence from today, October 2 and end on Sunday, October 6, 2024.

The exercise aims to safeguard children from measles and rubella while also providing essential vitamin A supplementation to support their overall health and well-being.

During a press conference in the Upper East Region, Dr Samuel Boakye-Boateng, the Regional Director of Health Service, highlighted the importance of the initiative.

He mentioned that the region experienced measles outbreaks earlier in the year, with Bawku West and Garu Districts reporting cases, along with five other districts seeing a few instances.

Dr. Boakye-Boateng explained “It’s a national exercise, a supplemental or supplementary immunisation activity with measles rubella vaccine. It’s integrated because we are also adding vitamin A supplementation. This year we recorded outbreaks across the whole country and in the Upper East region, two districts recorded outbreaks, that’s three or more cases where that district had about one or two cases a month or two ago.

“When we say outbreak, those that recorded three or more cases, and that happened in Bawku West and Garu. So that’s why we call it outbreak and how to investigate it.”