Kwaku Agyeman-Manu
GHANA HAS reportedly made significant gains in reducing high burden diseases among its citizens.
Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, made the disclosure on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at the Information Ministry’s Meet The Press engagement.
According to the Minister, “no new cholera outbreak has been reported since 2017.”
He also indicated that there has been “no meningitis outbreak this year 2019,” with “near elimination of yellow fever.”
On managing meningitis outbreaks in Ghana, the Health Minister pointed out that “the meningitis “epidemic” belt is extending southwards but noted that the country’s epidemic preparedness plan is in place to address it.
Again, he said on Tuberculosis Control, intensified case finding has been extended to 113 facilities with a goal of reaching out to 216 facilities nationwide.
He noted that “our goal is to reach 216 facilities nationwide.
He said a total of 14,200 of all forms of TB were detected in 2018 out of a target of 19,764.
He further revealed that, the treatment success rate for 2018 was very good and stood at 85%. “This is commensurate to international standards”,
On malaria control, Mr. Agyeman-Manu disclosed that the Health Ministry has distributed over 15.5 Million long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLITN) to at-risk populations and targeted risk groups.
He stated that “in April we made history with Ghana being the second country in the world (after Malawi) to pilot the malaria vaccine.
This is part of our interventions to reduce the burden of malaria in Ghana.”
According to him, over the next three years, between 120000 -150000 children will be vaccinated.
Immunization Coverage
The Minister indicated that Ghana’s national immunization coverage has improved over the years, adding that “immunization coverage for 2018 was 97.47. All our childhood vaccine requirements for 2019 has been secured.”
Achievements Of Immunization
Mr. Agyeman-Manu indicated that as a result of immunization, there has been no case of polio reported in Ghana since 2008.
He also indicated that there has been no documented measles associated death in Ghana since 2003, and that there has been reduction in diarrhea since the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in 2012.
BY Melvin Tarlue