Ghana records first Monkeypox death

Ghana has recorded its first death of Monkeypox since the outbreak of the disease in the country.

The case, confirmed in the Upper East Region on Friday, July 22, tested positive at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) after suspicion.

“This is the first confirmed case in the region,” Upper East Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi said in a statement over the weekend.

“The confirmed case was seen on the 22nd July, 2022 at the Upper East Regional Hospital, with a history of fever and skin rash.

“Unfortunately, the [patient] died on 26th July 2022.

“Samples were taken on the 22nd of July 2022 for confirmation at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra. We received feedback on the 28th of July, 2022, indicating the sample tested positive for the Monkeypox disease.”

Thirteen contacts have so far been traced and are being monitored.

Surveillance has also been mounted in the Region, according to the Health Directorate, and all health emergency response teams have been activated to contain the disease.

No new cases have been recorded as of Sunday, July 31, Dr Kofi Dzotsi’s statement noted.

The World Health Organisation on Friday, July 22 declared the Monkeypox outbreak an international emergency.

Ghana has so far recorded more than 30 cases since Wednesday, June 8 when the first five cases were announced by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye.

By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|editors.3news.com|Ghana

Follow @kwame_amoh