Four more meningitis deaths recorded in Upper West Region

Four more persons have died after contracting Cerebrospinal Meningitis in the Upper West Region. The number is an increase over the 33 deaths that were announced last Sunday by the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Osei Kuffuor Affreh.

The total number of persons infected with the endemic has also increased from 214 to 247 within the past week. A release issued by the Regional Health directorate cited the Nadowli/Kaleo district and the Nandom municipality as the hardest-hit areas.

The Nadowli District recorded 74 cases with 12 deaths while the Nandom Municipality also has 76 cases with 10 fatalities. The Jirapa Municipality follows with 42 cases, out of which nine people died.

Four districts including the Wa East, Sissala West, Lambusie and Dafiama-Busie-Issah, however, recorded no cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis. The urgency around the novel coronavirus pandemic has overshadowed the Cerebrospinal Meningitis cases in northern Ghana.

This has led Parliament to prompt the Ministry of Health to give some attention to the growing number of cases of meningitis in the Upper West Region. The Wa Central MP, Rashid Pelpuo, for example, called for the immediate application of known remedies to halt the rising death count.

Find below a breakdown of the cases

BELOW IS THE LIST OF CASES AND DEATHS OF MENINGITIS AS AT WEEK 13 IN ALL THE 11 MDAs IN THE UPPER WEST REGION:

NOTE: C-case, D-death

1. Daffiam-Busie-Issa, C-0, D-0

2. Jirapa, C-42, D-9

3. Lambussie, C-0, D-0

4. Lawra, C-8, D-1

5. Nadowli-Kaleo, C-74, D-12

6. Nandom, C-76, D-10

7. Sissala East, C-5, D-0

8. Sissala West, C-0, D-0

9. Wa East, C-0, D-0

10. Wa Municipal, C-27, D-4

11. Wa West, C-15, D-1

Total cases-247
Total deaths-37

About Cerebrospinal Meningitis

The disease is an inflammation of the meninges of both brain and spinal cord specifically an infectious often epidemic and fatal meningitis caused by the meningococcus called also cerebrospinal fever. It is an air-borne disease that is most feared because it is transmittable, fatal and spreads at an extremely fast pace. The disease has up to 50% death rate if not treated.