The Paediatric Society of Ghana has revealed that over 500 cases of measles have so far been recorded in the country due to the unavailability of essential vaccines.

According to the newly elected President of the Paediatric Society of Ghana, Dr Hilda Boye, the situation is quite worrying because the delay in the arrival of the vaccines can potentially escalate the disease. She revealed that bearing in mind the severity of the illness, it behooves on government to do the needful to address the situation.

“As we speak, we are looking at about 500 suspected cases of measles. So, we are worried because we are just sitting and watching, and it is getting worse by the day and that is expected also because it is an infectious disease, and we really shouldn’t have come to this place in the first place.”
Dr Hilda Boye

Dr Boye stated that the shortage of vaccines leading to a breakout in measles in some parts of the Northern region has been in existence for some weeks and months now. She explained that there have been instances where mothers have had to go from one hospital to the other trying to get vaccines for their infant or babies.

“We know that when you have suspected cases or people coming to hospitals with cases, there are definitely more in the communities who may not have even come to the hospitals with complaints of being unwell. So, it’s worrying to us, and we don’t want to see this.”
Dr Hilda Boye

Dr Boye highlighted that measles is a disease that for many years the country has diligently resolved to tackle, which has been curtailed until now. He noted that for one to suddenly start seeing its reappearance is a cause for alarm and it’s something her outfit is really not happy about.

“For our babies, infants and even adults, especially those who are elderly or on medications, that will affect the function of their immune system [and] it is a terrible situation to be in. Now, the world is a global village, if we are hearing it’s in the Northern region, probably it’s already in a number of districts and probably people are exporting it out of the country as well; so it’s a cause for alarm. So, as we are trying to market our nation as a tourist destination, we don’t want them to be afraid of picking up any illnesses from here, especially some of these vaccine preventable ones.”
Dr Hilda Boye

Health minister to appear before parliament today

Meanwhile, the Health Minister, Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu is expected to brief Parliament today, March 7, on steps being taken to address the shortage of childhood vaccines in the country.

Several parts of the country have been hit with a shortage of vaccines in the last few months despite claims by the National Health Insurance Authority that over GH¢70 million has been released for the procurement of the vaccines.

The concerning situation ignited the interest of the Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Nana Ayew Afriyie, who reckoned the need to call the Minister of Health and other agency heads to an emergency meeting on Tuesday, February 28.

The health minister who was scheduled to appear in the House on February 28, 2023, failed to show up, thus courting the wrath of the Minority.

Prior to this, former Minority Chief Whip and a member of the Health Committee of Parliament, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, described as disrespectful, the absence of the health minister. He argued that Mr Agyemang-Manu must be subpoenaed for disrespecting the Health Committee of Parliament.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has also acknowledged the vaccine shortages and attributed the situation to the free fall of the cedi against major trading currencies, especially the dollar.