Meningitis Outbreak: Expert urges public to drink more water

Dr. Godfred Kwabena Sarpong, the Central Regional Director of Public Health has advised the public to drink more water, avoid congested areas and keep proper personal hygiene to save them from being infected with Celebro-Spinal Meningitis.

He said the spread of the disease was by direct contact including; respiratory droplets from nose and throat of infected persons.

The Assin South District of the Central Region has recorded seven cases of meningitis with two deaths in the last seven days with four of the cases from Nyankomasi Ahenkro Senior High School while three others were from different vicinities.

Dr. Sarpong gave the advice after the Member of Parliament for Assin South Constituency, Mr. John Ntim Fordjour donated some medical supplies to the Assin South District Health Directorate to aid the fight against the recent outbreak of the disease in the District.

Explaining, he said, Meningitis was caused by a bacterial or virus that inflame the protective membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord with signs and symptoms including sudden onset of severe headache, fever, vomiting, neck pains, neck stiffness and photophobia.

Dr. Sarpong assured that the situation was under control as the District Health Directorate has reactivated its Public Health Emergency Committee and placed all health workers on the alert.

The Directorate had also embarked on vigorous sensitization programmes in communities, schools, churches, lorry stations, markets and the media to raise awareness on the nature and symptoms of the disease to promote early reporting.

He called on all surrounding districts including, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Mfantseman, Twifo-Attimokwa, Twifo-Hemang Lower Denkyira and Ajumako-Eyan-Essiam to educate the public especially school children on the disease.

"Meningitis kills, it can kill within a day or two if you don't seek health care early- so we want to avoid these deaths,” he cautioned.

The donation, Mr Ntim Fordjour said, was in line with his continuous contribution towards the delivery of quality healthcare in the Assin South District.

He, therefore, assured the Assin South Health Directorate of his total commitment towards providing sufficient support.

Mr. Francis Amoako Mensah, the Assistant Headmaster of Nyankomasi Ahenkro SHS thanked the MP for the support of employing the services of nurses from school of Public Health, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to help fight the disease in the school.

He urged parents who have their wards in the School to remain calm and asked those whose children were home to send them back to school because the situation was under control.