Health News of Monday, 1 February 2016

Source: starrfmonline.com

Health officials to issue alert over meningitis outbreak

Health officials in Accra will today issue an alert on pneumococcal meningitis.

The region has recorded two more suspected cases bringing the total number to five with one confirmed.

The deadly pneumococcal meningitis that started in the Brong Ahafo region in December last year has claimed nearly 50 lives and affected over 200 people after spreading to other regions.

The alert is to increase the level of preparedness of health officials to deal with the disease.

Deputy Director of Public Health for the Greater Accra region, Dr. John Yabani in an interview with Starr News said measures will be rolled out to contain the outbreak.

Dr. Yabani, however, disagreed with claims by some experts that the outbreak has reached an epidemic stage.

According to him, the outbreak is under control and cannot be declared as an epidemic now.