Author: Priscilla Akorfa Fomevor

Health ministers from across Africa have joined forces in a renewed commitment to stop the dangerous spread of diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable disease that has returned to threaten communities in eight member states. Convened by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, the high-level meeting brought together leaders from affected nations and key global health partners to align efforts and resources. The urgent gathering included ministers and senior officials from Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and South Africa, alongside representatives from UNICEF, GAVI, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Together they addressed the alarming reality that…

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced a public health initiative: a mandatory typhoid vaccination programme for all food handlers across the country. The move targets a critical group in the transmission chain, aiming to drastically reduce the incidence of the bacterial disease. The programme will require workers across the entire food and drink industry—from street food vendors and market operators to restaurant, hotel, and food manufacturing staff—to receive the vaccine. The Immunisation offers protection for three years and will become a compulsory part of the health certification required to work in the sector. Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director-General of…

Essence Clinic and Medical Lab has become the first healthcare facility in Ghana to introduce and deploy a Rapid Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing kit. This initiative, developed in collaboration with Chinese partners, promises to transform cervical cancer screening by providing results in minutes, a dramatic improvement over traditional methods. Dr. Selina Leeward, a Gynecologist at Essence Clinic and the Director of HPV Awareness and Preventive Care at the Health Community of West Africa Association, highlighted the transformative potential of the new kits. “Normally, what we do in Ghana is the Pap smear, but we don’t routinely test for HPV, the…

Health officials are reporting a significant milestone in Ghana’s fight against leprosy, as the Manhyia Government Hospital in the Ashanti Region has not recorded a single new case of the disease in more than five years. This milestone marks a major success in Ghana’s ongoing efforts to eliminate the ancient bacterial disease, also known as Hansen’s disease, which can cause severe skin lesions and nerve damage if left untreated. The sustained zero-case status is attributed to decades of coordinated national efforts, including early detection campaigns, widespread public education to reduce stigma, and the provision of free Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) by…

A new generation of malaria vaccines has driven a dramatic reduction in child deaths in Ghana, offering a blueprint for combating one of Africa’s deadliest diseases. However, this hard-won progress is now jeopardized by significant cuts to international aid, primarily from the United States under the Trump administration. According to data from Ghana’s health service and the international vaccine alliance Gavi, confirmed deaths from malaria in children under five have fallen nearly 86% in Ghana, from 245 in 2018 to just 35 in 2024. This decline accelerated following the introduction of two new vaccines: one developed by GSK and another…

Leading health experts are warning that Ghana’s hard-won gains against HIV are being undermined by systemic gaps in testing, education, and patient retention. During a critical webinar organized by the Ghana Health Improvement Access Network (GHIAN), specialists highlighted that despite effective treatments, the nation’s path to epidemic control remains blocked by late diagnosis, stigma, and patients lost to follow-up. “Treatment success does not automatically translate into epidemic control,” emphasized speakers, pointing to a stark reality: Ghana records an estimated 50 new HIV infections daily, yet only about 68% of people living with HIV know their status. Nearly 30% of those…

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has elevated its travel guidance for Liberia to Level 2: Practice Enhanced Precautions, responding to a substantial and ongoing outbreak of clade II mpox (formerly monkeypox). The notice coincides with a separate health alert issued by the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia. According to data from the Africa CDC, Liberia reported 1,451 confirmed cases and six related deaths in 2025, representing one of the most significant recent outbreaks on the continent. Transmission has continued into the new year, with four confirmed cases already reported as of January 17, 2026. A notable feature…

Health authorities have declared a public health crisis in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality as a severe and escalating typhoid fever outbreak has taken hold, with confirmed cases reaching a staggering 5,876 from January through November 2025. The data, released by the Ghana News Agency, paints a dire picture of one of the most significant typhoid surges the region has faced, threatening to overwhelm local medical infrastructure. The outbreak has triggered deep concern among healthcare workers and community leaders, who directly link the crisis to longstanding issues of inadequate sanitation and unreliable access to safe, clean water. Typhoid fever, a…

The World Health Organization has unveiled a significant evolution in its international HIV guidelines, signaling a strategic shift toward more sustainable and flexible care frameworks. This comprehensive update moves beyond emergency response models to establish long-term management protocols designed for diverse global health systems and individual patient needs. Central to the new approach is the reinforcement of dolutegravir as the preferred treatment anchor, now accompanied by clearer strategic pathways for managing treatment transitions. The guidance introduces greater flexibility in maintaining key medications within subsequent therapy lines, a departure from previous protocols that emphasized switching to entirely new drug classes. This…

With the dry, dusty Harmattan winds intensifying, Ghana’s Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service have issued a stark public health alert, warning of a significantly increased risk of meningitis outbreaks across the country. The urgent advisory calls for immediate public vigilance and underscores the life-threatening speed at which the disease can spread. The alert, a follow-up to a December warning, comes as seasonal conditions create an ideal environment for the transmission of the bacterial infection, which causes severe inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. Health authorities stress that the disease thrives in the overcrowded and poorly…