Meningitis outbreak should not be downplayed – SDD to government
Civil society group, Savings and Development Dialogue (SDD), has cautioned the government against downplaying the Meningitis outbreak in the Upper West Region which has claimed over 40 lives.
The group in a statement said it was easy for the government to downplay the meningitis outbreak because of the global pandemic, coronavirus
It, therefore, advocated for an increase in investment in the health system not only to tackle coronavirus, but also other life-threatening ailments.
“As of March 2020, more than 30 deaths of Meningitis had been reported in the Upper West region of Ghana, with another 200 cases suspected. This should not be downplayed because coronavirus is what grabs attention now”
Cerebrospinal Meningitis infects 258, kills 40 in Upper West Region
“A robust health system pays for itself in the long run when the greatest resource of the state and the people are kept healthy enough to pursue their full potential,” the statement read.
At least 40 persons have died from Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in the Upper West Region.
The number of CSM infections in the region last week jumped to 258 in the region.
According to media reports, health authorities in the region have observed that although the outbreak of meningitis in the region is an annual occurrence, this year’s has become difficult to deal with.
The SDD urged the government to seize the opportunity to pursue one health, a concept that anticipated the need for a holistic approach to global health, which rightly recognises that humans, animals and the environment are intertwined and need to be considered together in any attempt to address health.
“There has never been a more opportune time for the aggressive
pursuit of one health, a concept that anticipates the need for a holistic approach to global health which rightly recognises that humans, animals and the environment are intertwined and need to be considered together in any attempt to address health,” the statement read.
Read full statement below: