38 Meningitis Cases Recorded In Brong Ahafo

Thirty-Eight cases of meningitis have so far been recorded in the Brong Ahafo Region with eleven deaths.

Most of the cases were recorded in the Tain District; 28 cases came from the Brohani community in the Nsawkaw sub-district.

The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Health in charge of Public Health, Dr Osei Kuffour Afreh, made this known at an emergency epidemic management committee meeting in Sunyani to discuss the meningitis outbreak in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord.
Muslim communities

Dr Afreh said most of the cases were coming from Muslim communities at Nsawkaw in the Tain District and that most of them had been confirmed.

He said the situation in Tain had improved no new cases were being recorded.

Financial support
He said the regional health directorate was lobbying for financial and logistic support from the government and partners and that the estimated budgetary requirement was GH¢223,000.

“The situation is under control as the Ghana Health Service, with the support of other partners, is working hard to control the situation,” he said.

Transmission
Dr Afreh explained that transmission or spread of the disease was by direct contact, including respiratory droplets from nose and throat of infected persons or carriers.

He said signs and symptoms of the disease included sudden onset of severe headache, fever, vomiting, neck pains, neck stiffness and photophobia or dislike of light.