WHO supports Health Ministry with medicines to fight CSM

The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided Ghana with some ten thousand vials of medicines to support treatment of patients affected by cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) in the northern parts of the country.

Since the disease outbreak in the Upper West Region, there have been 1,029 suspected cases with 22 confirmed and 18 deaths recorded. Currently, 29 persons are on admission with three of them in critical condition.

The medications expected to cater for about 300 patients’ forms part of the technical support the organization is offering to complement governments’ efforts in tackling the outbreak in the country.

At the handing over ceremony, the WHO Country Representative, Dr Frank Lule, entreated residents of the affected communities to report early to health facilities.

According to him, ‘‘The concern has been the late reporting of cases to the clinics, so we encourage residents to report early. We are giving the necessary support and we will keep supporting. So far, it has been restricted to these two regions and we think that’s a very timely response and in my view that’s very much because of the preparedness by the country.

He promised to offer technical support in relation to training of personnel.

“For human resources, we need to train more people who can easily identify, report and manage the diseases. Most importantly the communities have been empowered, and the awareness level is high which means if people come early, we now have the treatment,” he said.

The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, described the support as timely, calling on all and sundry to support the fight against the outbreaks as government makes efforts to curtail it.

“The donation is timely. We are at this time in a very difficult situation and let me also add that they are not only giving medicines but also giving the country technical assistance as well. We will ensure they are all moved to the northern parts of the country,” he said.

Mr Akandoh stressed the need for early reporting.

“Again, we have enough antibiotics but what we have consistently advocated is early reporting to the health facilities. We have asked that the Wa Regional Hospital’s Isolation Center be isolated and all cases referred there, and the ambulance system has also been activated, and the case management is fully in operation,” he explained.

The Health Minister in turn handed over the medications to the Director General of the Ghana Health Service for onward dispatch to the affected areas up north.