This would also help prevent any other communicable diseases, which would affect the well-being of individuals for effective living.

Madam Dora Kugbonu, Public Health Promotion Officer at the Keta Municipal Health Directorate, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said Monkeypox disease was deadly and demanded thorough public awareness and education.

“To prevent the spread of Mpox, one must avoid contact with bush animals and their meat to stay healthy, and any affected person must quickly report to the nearest health centre for treatment,” she said.

She explained that the primary infection of Mpox was from animals, possibly Monkeys or other bush animals and it could be spread when human contact infected animals or products, while the secondary infection was when uninfected person come in contact with infected person or mother to fetus.

She advised the public to avoid direct body contact with infected persons, as well as avoid sharing personal belongings with others and also desist from consuming dead rodents.

“We must practice good personal hygiene, always cover our food and cooking utensils properly, and protect ourselves well when handling meat to avoid or prevent Mpox.”

Madam Kugbonu said that the symptoms of Mpox were fever, increase body temperature, severe headache, body ache and itchiness, skin rash, among others, which were similar to other sickness and urged the public to report to health facility if they identify any uncomfortable signs and symptoms for early treatment.

She said that current statistics about Mpox as of May 26, has revealed that the country had recorded 10 new cases, which raised the total number of confirmed cases to 19 with no death, while five were on admission.
She said that the Volta Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service had recently confirmed two cases of Mpox in the Ketu North and Ho Municipalities involving a 35 and 33-year-old male and female respectively.

The GNA also gathered that the Volta Regional Health Directorate had instructed all District health facilities and port health units across the region to enhance surveillance and risk communication and intensify efforts to educate the public and create awareness to prevent further spread of the Mpox in the districts and the region.

The Keta Municipal Health Directorate had also revealed that no cases of the Mpox had been identified in the Keta municipality as of Thursday, May 29.

Edited by Maxwell Awumah and Lydia Kukua Asamoah