Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, GHS Director General
The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, at the weekend disclosed that, officially, the country had confirmed three cases of Marburg.
He added that two of the cases had been corroborated through the World Health Organisation’s Institut Pasteur in Dakar (IPD), Senegal, as part of its quality assurance policy.
He said the Institut Pasteur could not corroborate one of the locally confirmed cases presented to it, adding “the test would be repeated, in addition to the new confirmed case locally by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research”.
“The Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal received samples from the first two patients from the southern Ashanti region of Ghana – both deceased and unrelated – who showed symptoms, including diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting. The laboratory corroborated the results from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), which suggested their illness was due to the Marburg virus,” he stated.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye made this known during a press conference at the Information Ministry to provide an update on public health emergencies the country was dealing with.
He further revealed: “One case was a 26-year-old male who checked into a hospital on June 26, 2022 and died on June 27. The second case was a 51 -year-old male who reported to the hospital on June 28 and died on the same day. The second person has not been buried to confirm if it is Marburg yet. Both cases sought treatment at the same hospital within days of each other”.
New case
The GHS Director General said the new case, which was a baby, had actually completed the mandatory 21-day quarantine, adding “the baby has been buried, and this was a malnourished 14 months old child”.
“We have samples running the necessary test, and we are following protocols with Noguchi to arrive at that confirmation,” he reiterated. According to him, the new case tested positive together with his close contact is yet to be corroborated by the Institute Pasteur in Dakar (IPD).
“Currently, 40 additional contacts have been identified in the Savannah Region and are being followed up. 11 of the 40 contacts are Health Care Workers,” he revealed.
He pointed out that, so far, the 118 contacts identified, including those from Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in Savannah Region, were currently under quarantine, and monitored by the Ashanti and Savannah Regional Health Directorates of the Ghana Health Service
He said there had been an implementation of several interventions with focus on three regions: Ashanti, Savannah and Western.
“A cumulative list of 118 contacts in 3 districts in the 3 regions were identified. Ashanti, 50; Savannah, 48 and Western, 20. 19 of the contacts were HCWs; 99 were close family members or household/community contacts,” he stated.
Measures taken
He noted that there is daily monitoring of temperature and general health and wellbeing, being undertaken by healthcare staff in the affected districts.
“Other measures being implemented include: Alerts sent to all districts. Community engagements – Intensive risk communication in the affected region. Further investigations on the outbreak ongoing,” he revealed.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye further added that there is a national public health action like constitution of a Rapid Response Team (GHS and Partners) to support the regional and district response teams for detailed investigations. “Clinical records review and sensitisation of clinical staff. Support with contact tracing and follow-up. Provision of more PPEs and other logistics by GHS/MOH and Partners,” he stated.
He added: “In the Ashanti Region, we have Regional Rapid Response Team (RRT) support to Adansi North district for surveillance, risk communication, contact tracing. Coordination with Savannah and Western Region RHDs. Provision of logistics including PPEs and some funds. Transportation of samples to NMIMR”.
In Western Region, he said, identification of community of interest and the listing of contacts had heightened community based surveillance in the affected district
“Facility-based orientation of health staff on standard case definition of VHFs and other epidemic prone diseases. Public sensitisation through radio and community-based education on VHFs to create awareness and also enhance reporting,” he disclosed.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye said there is currently no vaccine for the disease, and appealed to the public to adhere to preventive measures, adding “the GHS is collaborating with Ghana Wildlife to reduce the risk of spread”.
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