Two persons out of the eight suspected cerebro spinal meningitis (CSM) cases reported in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region have died.
The remaining cases are being monitored and are going through the expected treatment.
The deceased are a 57-yearold woman from Ayopia and a 14-year-old girl from Atampisi, all in the Bongo District.
Some other districts in the region have also recorded some few cases but with no deaths.
The Upper East Regional Disease Surveillance Officer, Baba Awuni, had confirmed the deaths but said the cases recorded so far do not represent an outbreak of CSM in the Bongo District or the region as had been reported by some local media.
According to him, the eight cases reported, out of which two died, rather put the district close to an alert threshold and not an outbreak.
With the rate of indiscriminate tree felling and the resultant climate change experiences and effects in the Upper East Region, it is not surprising that the region has started recording early cases of suspected CSMs.
Usually, more cases are recorded between March and April when the weather is very hot during the day and night.
Observations are that the Upper East Region is very likely to record more CSM cases this year than previous years; owing to the hot day and night weather coupled with long hours of power outages.
To prevent CSM, health workers have advised people to be sleeping in highly ventilated places and avoid sleeping in crowded rooms.
Unfortunately, when the lights go out, people still sleep in their rooms with doors and windows firmly closed, for the fear of being robbed.
Stealing of items, especially motorbikes, has become rampant in the Bolgatanga Municipality and other busy districts.
Some residents have pleaded that the deliberate light outs should be limited to day time alone so that people could sleep with their fans on in the night to reduce the effect of the heat.
A source at the Upper East Office of VRA/NEDCo said the request might not be granted because the ‘dumsor’ has a programmed schedule
FROM Ebo Bruce- Quansah, Bolgatanga
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