Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah
Chairman of the Health Committee of Parliament, Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah, has cautioned the Ministry of Health (MoH) not to be complacent about Ghana’s status of polio-free country but rather strengthen its surveillance system since polio is very active in Nigeria which is just close by.
The Chairman of the Health Committee, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Berekum East in the Brong-Ahafo Region, gave the caution when he made a statement on the floor of parliament to mark World Polio Day which fell on Tuesday, October 24.
According to Dr Nuamah-Twum, there is higher risk of infection in Ghana due to the fact that Nigeria still has wild cases which can easily be brought to Ghana because of the proximity and the close interactions between the citizens of the two countries.
This, he explained, is so because of the disease’s highly infectious and communicable nature.
“A recent assessment by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Ghana’s progress towards polio global eradication, highlighted some gaps in the system, particularly with institutional surveillance, for polio in Ghana as well as other vaccine-preventable diseases,” he said.
The Berekum East MP mentioned that despite significant gains made in the fight against poliomyelitis, the disease remains a threat, as the WHO indicates that a single case of polio in a child poses a risk to all children.
Dr Nuamah-Twum explained that polio is a viral disease that primarily affects children, particularly those below five years, and is a potentially fatal infectious disease which results in patients getting crippled.
He, however, praised health professionals and volunteers who have been administering the vaccine to children across the various communities for their dedication and commitment to work.
The Minority Chief Whip, who is also a member of the Health Committee, Alhaji Mubarak Muntaka, said health professionals must be highly commended for their unique sense of duty when the fight against polio is activated.
He expressed the belief that the NPP government would see the need to set aside more funds for public health campaign and the fight against communicable diseases in the country in next year’s budget.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr