Kwabena Mintah Akandoh reports 450 suspected yellow fever cases

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced that Ghana recorded approximately 450 suspected cases of yellow fever between June and September 2026. The situation has been particularly concentrated in northern Ghana, with the Upper West Region accounting for 74 of these suspected cases. While the majority of cases across the country remain unverified, three have been officially laboratory-confirmed in the Upper West Region. The Minister emphasized that the government is enhancing surveillance and has deployed a National Rapid Response Team to the region to manage the potential outbreak.

Among the incidents reported, seven deaths in the Sissala East District are suspected to be linked to the disease. Minister Akandoh cautioned against making definitive attributions until laboratory results are finalized, as officials are currently awaiting confirmation from a regional reference laboratory in Senegal. Despite the rising number of suspected cases and local concerns, the Minister urged the public and the media to remain calm and trust the measures being implemented by health authorities.

In response to the developments, SEND Ghana has criticized the government's response as slow and hampered by bureaucratic delays. Country Director Harriet Nuamah Agyemang called for the immediate fumigation of affected communities to prevent further spread, noting that public anxiety is growing. She argued that the four-month period since the first suspected cases emerged has seen insufficient urgency in the government's actions, particularly regarding the release of emergency resources.

To strengthen future response capabilities, SEND Ghana is advocating for the establishment of a dedicated Public Health Emergency Fund and a shift toward local vaccine manufacturing. Agyemang suggested that such a fund would allow for the rapid mobilization of resources without the hurdles of current administrative structures. Furthermore, she encouraged a partnership between the government and local pharmaceutical companies to ensure that Ghana is better prepared to manage emerging health threats independently.