Accra, March 9, – The Minister of Health, Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has confirmed that Mpox is no longer classified as a public health emergency of international concern in Ghana.
Addressing Parliament in response to an urgent question by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Mr. Akandoh credited the decline in cases to coordinated multisectoral interventions, widespread vaccination campaigns, and intensified public education.
He reported that only one patient remains hospitalized, with no critical cases, and weekly infections have dropped from 28 to seven. As of March 3, 2026, Ghana had recorded 1,038 confirmed Mpox cases across 124 districts, with eight deaths, noting that the Greater Accra and Western regions were most affected due to high population density.
A total of 31,231 people had received vaccinations in the Ashanti, Western, and Greater Accra regions, the Minister said, while assuring Parliament that the government would continue to support affected persons and maintain readiness to respond to potential outbreaks.
Since the outbreak in May 2025, the Ministry of Health, through the Ghana Health Service, implemented home isolation, laboratory testing, and vaccination drives, complemented by civil society and media-led public awareness campaigns. MPs were encouraged to assist in sensitising their constituents.
Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) of the Orthopoxvirus genus, spreads through close contact with infected humans, animals, or contaminated materials. Symptoms include rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and low energy. Treatment is largely supportive, with antivirals such as tecovirimat used in severe cases, and vaccination providing protective immunity.
The Minister reiterated the importance of hygiene, use of personal protective equipment in healthcare settings, and avoidance of contact with infected individuals or animals.
GHBUSS
9 March 2026
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