Ghana to produce four new vaccines including meningitis (Sunday, March 11, 2012)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Minister of Health, Mr. Alban S.K. Bagbin has indicated that the World Health Organization has given Ghana the approval to launch four new vaccines in the country, to help combat a number of diseases including meningitis. To that end, the ministry is in the process of establishing a bioequivalent centre, which is a centre of excellence that will offer quality assurance, efficacy and usefulness of the type of vaccines to be produced. Mr. Bagbin who disclosed this at Bolgatanga after touring the region to acquaint himself with the mass vaccination exercise for CSM, said two of the vaccines will be soon be launched. He was accompanied by Acting Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Frank Nyonator, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sylvester Anemana, the Director, Public Health, Ghana Health Service, Dr. Joseph Amankwah and a host of staff from the ministry The team led by the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams and the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo toured a number of health establishment in the region to monitor efforts aimed at curtailing the outbreak. Briefing the press after the tour, Mr. Bagbin commended the staff of the Regional Health Directorate and all other stakeholders in the region, such as the Red Cross Society for their timely efforts in combating the outbreak of the CSM in the region. He said although the region recorded some deaths, the health directorate did tremendously well in containing the situation, especially in the face of the absence of vaccines for the new strain of the disease, W135. The Minister said due to the timely reporting system, Ghana was able to place an order from the W.H.O 267,000 doses of vaccines for the WI35 strain of the disease out of which a total of 105,720 doses was approved for Ghana. These vaccines he said have been dispatched to the region for the vaccination exercise adding that vaccines for the A and C strains have also been released to into the system to immunise the populace. “I must add that we have ample stock of antibiotics are also available for the treatment of CSM and the other opportunistic infections”, he said He reiterated the fact that Ghana is located within the meningitis zone which stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia and for that matter CSM will be a yearly occurrence. He nevertheless indicated that the effort of the ministry is mainly aimed at trying to tame such outbreak and ensure that it does not reach epidemic stage. The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams said apart from the fact that vaccination is free, the total treatment of CSM is also free and encouraged the public to take advantage and report early to the nearest health facility. From January 1st, 2012 to March 10, this year, a total 264 cased have been recorded with 27 deaths so far. He however indicated that for the past three to four days no further deaths have been recorded, an indication that the authorities are working hard to ensure that no further deaths are recorded. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo stressed the need for a new regional hospital since the present one is so handicapped in terms of the availability of land for future expansion. He disclosed that the initial heddle of difficulty in finding land has been dealt with by the identification of land at Sherigu and Winkongo and therefore urged the ministry to seize the opportunity to utilise these parcel of land for a new regional hospital. -End-