Health authorities in the Ashanti Region have raised an alarm over a significant increase in measles cases, as they reveal 79 cases were recorded in 2023 alone.

Dr Fred Adomako Boateng, the newly appointed Ashanti regional director of Health Services who highlighted the worrying trend further revealed that a substantial number of children have become susceptible to measles due to insufficient vaccination coverage.

According to recent estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 700,000 children across the country are now vulnerable to contracting measles. Furthermore, risk assessments have identified 15 districts at high risk of a potential outbreak, due to the accumulation of unvaccinated children.

“The accumulation of susceptible children creates a vulnerable population at risk of measles and its severe consequences,” Dr. Boateng stated. “As the number of unvaccinated children rises, the likelihood of an outbreak increases significantly.”

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death. Vaccination remains the most effective means of prevention, and health authorities are calling for swift action to increase vaccination coverage and protect vulnerable children.

The Ministry of Health is expected to roll out targeted interventions in all 43 districts across the region starting 2 to 6 October 2024 and prevent a full-blown outbreak. Dr Boateng encouraged parents and caregivers to cooperate with health workers during immunisation campaigns to safeguard the health of children in the country.

“In Ashanti Region the estimated population we are looking at is 903,973. We will mount ‘fix posts’. There will be lots of outreaches in schools and in the communities. We will set up posts in all communities across the region. We want to make sure that we don’t leave any child unvaccinated. If any parent or guardian whose child is between nine and fifty-nine months”, Dr Fred Adomako Boateng stated.

Story filed by Barbara Koranteng.