Ghana records first H1N1 death

GHANA recorded its first H1N1 death last week, few days after the first consignment of two million doses of vaccines arrived in the country.
The victim, an 11-month-old baby girl, died at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra where he was sent in an unconscious state.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra, the Director of Public Health, Dr Joseph Amankwah, said specimen from the child was taken for testing before he passed away.
He explained that both parents of the child had the influenza but had been treated.
On the vaccine, Dr Amankwah said they were donated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which was also footing the cost of shipment, as well as that of distribution within Ghana.
Dr Amankwah explained that the first batch of vaccines was meant for health professionals, personnel of the security agencies, pregnant women and most importantly Ghanaians who would go to South Africa for this year’s World Cup.
He, however, pointed out that his outfit was still waiting for the list of people who would go to South Africa for the vaccine and also pass them through public health education programmes to ensure that they contract no disease outside Ghana.
Dr Amankwah said the WHO was assisting Ghana to receive additional vaccines for the general public of which the country would had to take care of the shipping cost and also the cost of distribution.
When asked why schoolchildren were not among the first group of people to receive the vaccine, since they were the most affected, he said the health sector was still discussing with the WHO as to the correct dose which was appropriate and safe for children under 18.
The Director of Public Health said his outfit was beginning an orientation programme for health professionals who would administer the vaccines today at the national level and said all the 10 regions would have their training simultaneously by next week, to be followed with the administration of the vaccines to the identified groups.
Dr Amankwah said the vaccines had already been sent to the various regions ready to be administered and that 774 cases had been confirmed out of which one life had been lost.
He also indicated that the rate at which people were catching the influenza had slowed down as compared to March this year and added that Ghana was recording more cases because health workers had been vigilant in looking up for the cases.
He indicated that in some countries the case was different, as health professionals were rather playing down on the spread of the disease, a situation he pointed out was not the best and reiterated the need for the observance of personal hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease, since it was not yet over.