*From Yellow Fever despite free vaccination

Story: News DESK

The number of people who have died from the outbreak of Yellow Fever in the Savannah Region is now 22, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed.

The Service said most of these victims were predominantly children who lived  closer to the Mole Park, where monkeys are rampant.

Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, who spoke to  journalists  yesterday  explained that,  “the outbreak is in four districts, namely West Gonja, North Gonja, Bole and Wa”.

Media reports suggested that six more persons have died from the suspected Yellow Fever outbreak in the Savannah Region.

This brings to 14 the number of persons — comprising a male adult and 13 children — who are suspected to have died of the disease so far, but according to Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe, “the number is actually 22 and not 14”.

“The number is actually 22 and not 14 and we have sent a surveillance team to these districts.”

The Director of Public Health told Sunrise host Alfred Ocansey that “we have done our test and confirmed that it is Yellow Fever and it is in four districts”.

“Ghana is endemic with Yellow Fever so we need to vaccinate people. We sent a team to the north. It is true we have vaccinated all the 260 districts.”

Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe noted that “the virus is predominant in monkeys. Mosquitoes bite the monkeys, they go and bite humans and it affects them so we are vaccinating up to 60-years and it’s free”.