Accra, Ghana – Ghana’s Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, addressed Parliament, outlining the government’s comprehensive strategy to combat the re-emergence of monkeypox in the country. The Minister highlighted the global public health concern posed by zoonotic diseases like monkeypox, recalling Ghana’s first recorded cases during the 2022 global outbreak, which saw 128 confirmed cases and four deaths between 2022 and 2023, along with an additional five cases in 2024.
The current outbreak began on May 13, 2025, with two confirmed cases in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. As of June 9, a total of 85 cases have been reported across 10 regions and 30 districts, with Greater Accra, Western, and Western North regions being the most affected.
The government has responded promptly with a multi-faceted approach, including improved coordination, enhanced surveillance, strengthened laboratory services, effective case management, robust risk communication, and the activation of public health emergency teams equipped with essential logistics like personal protective equipment for frontline workers.
The Minister attributed the increased case detection to improved surveillance systems, expanded testing capacity, and thorough contact tracing, while stressing the critical need to replenish laboratory supplies to sustain this progress. The Ghana Health Service, in collaboration with civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the media, has intensified public education campaigns to further control the disease’s spread.
Looking ahead, the Health Minister emphasized long-term preparedness measures, including capacity building, pre-positioning logistics, sustained integrated surveillance, exploring innovative financing mechanisms, and considering targeted vaccination for high-risk groups. He urged Members of Parliament to support ongoing efforts by promoting preventive messages and assisting health directorates in their constituencies, assuring the nation of the health sector’s full commitment to containing the outbreak.
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