U/W: Alban Bagbin Laments Meningitis Deaths In Nadwoli Kaleo

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Nadwoli Kaleo constituency in the Upper West Region, Alban Bagbin has lamented the devastating impact of the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in his constituency.

Of the over 30 deaths recorded in the region from the disease, 11 were from Nadowli Kaleo.

Speaking to Citi News, Alban Bagbin said, “We are not only having COVID-19. We are also having the CSM epidemic and it has slowly killed more of my constituents than what COVID-19 has done for the whole country. So we are under serious attack by invisible enemies. Usually, on a daily basis, I ask from the director of health services in the district and he says that CSM has different traits discovered from the lab in Tamale and not just one. We don't have a lab in the whole region to work on the samples so usually, we send it to Tamale,” he said.

CSM in the Upper West Region

In just a few days, the total number of persons infected with Cerebrospinal Meningitis in the Upper West Region has increased from 214 to 247.

The death toll currently stands at 37.

A release issued by the Regional Health directorate cited the Nadowli Kaleo district and the Nandom municipality as the hardest-hit areas.

The Nadowli District recorded 74 cases with 12 deaths while the Nandom Municipality also has 76 cases with 10 fatalities.

The urgency around the novel coronavirus pandemic has overshadowed the focus on Cerebrospinal Meningitis cases in northern Ghana.

This has led Parliament to prompt the Ministry of Health to give some attention to the growing number of cases of meningitis in the Upper West Region.

Meanwhile, Former President John Dramani Mahama has donated medical supplies to help fight meningitis and COVID-19 in the Upper West Region.

The items worth GHS50,000 comprised of boxes of anti meningitis cerium and Personal Protective Equipment.

What is Cerebrospinal Meningitis?

The disease is an inflammation of the meninges (membranous coverings) of both the brain and spinal cord caused by meningococcus called also cerebrospinal fever.

It is an air-borne disease that is most feared because it is transmittable, fatal and spreads at an extremely fast pace.

The disease has up to 50% death rate if not treated.

Meningitis can lead to serious long-term consequences such as deafness, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, or cognitive deficits, especially if not treated quickly.

Some of the symptoms include fever, headache stiffness in the neck, confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting, and the inability to tolerate light or loud noises.

---citinewsroom