Health authorities in the Ashanti Region are alarmed by the rising cases of measles and rubella, which have seen an increase of over 100 percent in the past two years.
Despite intensified efforts by health officials to curb the spread of these diseases, the numbers continue to rise. In 2021, four cases were reported; this increased to 24 cases in 2022 and 79 cases in 2023.
So far in 2024, there have been an alarming 119 cases.
Dr. Fred Adomako Boateng, the incoming Director of the Ghana Health Service in the Ashanti Region, attributed this surge to gaps in vaccine administration.
He made this statement during the launch of a supplementary campaign for measles and rubella vaccination, scheduled to take place from October 2 to October 6, 2024.
“As the number of unvaccinated children rises, the likelihood of outbreaks is very high. And if you will bear with us, remember last year, some of the northside and even here, we started having a lot of measles cases. Measles-rubella’s complications are something that you cannot really pay for.
“And you never know who is going to be at risk and I believe that you don’t want your child to have to be blind or to be deaf. And this is the opportunity that you have that you can vaccinate your child against measles and rubella.”
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