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Thursday, May 29, 2025

GHS confirms 10 new Monkey Pox cases, 5 on admission

 The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed 10 new cases of Mpox, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Ghana this year to 19.

According to GHS, five pa­tients are currently on admission and receiving treatment but no deaths have been recorded so far.

The GHS, however, indicated that efforts were underway to contain the outbreak includ­ing contact tracing, enhanced surveillance across all 16 regions, capacity-building, and public sensitisation initiatives.

It assured the public that there was no cause for alarm but urged Ghanaians to adhere to preven­tive measures.

These include regular hand hy­giene, avoiding close skin-to-skin contact with infected individuals, and promptly reporting symp­toms to the nearest health facility.

Mpox is a viral illness similar to smallpox and is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person’s skin or bodily fluids, including sexual contact. It typically causes fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash.

Common symptoms include fever, skin rash or lesions, fatigue, headaches, muscle and back pain, and swollen glands.

Across Africa, Mpox remains a significant public health concern. As of March 2025, over 24,200 cases and approximately 260 deaths have been recorded in 22 countries.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been the hard­est hit, accounting for a large proportion of both cases and fatalities.

The World Health Organisa­tion (WHO) has recently called for increased investment in Mpox diagnostics, vaccine research, and public education campaigns across the continent.

It has also stressed the impor­tance of de-stigmatising public discourse around the disease in order to ensure that affected in­dividuals are not marginalised or discouraged from seeking care

 BY ABIGAIL ANNOH

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