Public Urged to Observe Improved Personal Hygiene, Good Sanitation

By Ishmael Batoma And Andrews Nyarko

Following the detection of polio virus Type-2 in the Tamale Metropolis, the Ministry of Health is urging Ghanaians to maintain improved personal hygiene and good sanitation practices.

The public is also advised to wash their hands regularly, use toilet facilities for human waste disposal and encouraged parents and caregivers to ensure that their children complete all vaccination in time.

In a statement issued to the media, the Chief Director for the Ministry of Health, Nana Kwabena Adjei-Mensah, said surveillance has been enhanced and advocacy, communication and social mobilization activities have been initiated and ongoing.

On the measures being taken to prevent the spread of the virus in other environments, he said the Public Health Emergency Management Committee at the National and Tamale Metropolis of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have been activated and met regularly to assess the situation.

In addition, a team of experts from the Ghana Health Service, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and other partners were deployed to help study and assess the risk and potential spread of the virus.

Mr. Adjei-Mensah indicated that the ongoing study included the search for possible cases in the community, review of records from health facilities and the assessment of polio vaccination status of children in the affected area and beyond.

According to him, the investigation showed that majority of children in the Tamale Metropolis had completed routine immunization, including polio and no child had been identified to have paralytic polio.

The Chief Director mentioned that test samples have been taken from healthy children and additional sites in the environment.

Mr Adjei-Mensah assured the general public that the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service and other partners were making efforts to ensure the good health and safety of all Ghanaians.

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