Accra, Nov. 23, GNA - The Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Monday confirmed two additional cases of H1N1 influenza, increasing the cases to 40, Dr Joseph Amankwah Director of Public Health of the Ministry of Health said in Accra.

Western Region has recorded four cases, Ashanti Region two cases at an educational institution and Greater Accra Region recording 34 cases out of which 18 were recorded at a school.

No deaths have been recorded so far. Dr Amankwah announced this at the launching of a National Awareness and Sensitisation Programme on the pandemic in Accra, dubbed: "Whole-Off-Society Preparedness." He noted that the pandemic unlike the Asian and Hong Kong flu attacked people within the productive age of 15-29. Dr Amankwah said the spread of the pandemic in schools was worrying and called on stakeholders to collaborate to reverse the situation. He said the Ministry had instituted measures including the setting up of technical co-ordinating committees at the national, regional, metropolitan, municipal and district levels for the collection and transportation of samples from suspected cases and surveillance at the country's entry points to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

Dr Amankwah said in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and some UN agencies, anti-viral drugs had been made available at accessible points throughout the country.

Dr Kwesi Appiah-Kubi, Deputy Interior Minister, who launched the programme said the outbreak would affect society through staff absenteeism, disruption in the social and economic sectors and a threat to continuity of essential services.

Mr Kofi Porturphy, Co-ordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation called on the people to embrace the programme because lack of knowledge about the pandemic could be disastrous. He said the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs had supported the programme with 100,000 dollars. The UN also sensitised Muslims embarking on this year's pilgrimage to Mecca about the pandemic.

The H1N1 influenza detected in Mexico and the United States in April 29 has spread to 74 countries and infected nearly 29,000 people. Available statistics from the WHO indicated that by November 4, 14,580 cases of the pandemic had been clinically confirmed with 76 deaths in 27 African Countries.