No vaccines for CSM in Bawku

There is acute shortage of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) vaccines in health facilities in the Bawku area, as residents seeking immunization against the disease cannot be serve.

Bawku, with very hot weather conditions, is potentially prone to the CSM disease due to its geographical location near the Sahel zone.


There has not been any immunization in the area this season as a result of shortage of the vaccines which are the only ones known to health workers for the prevention of the disease.


The Bawku Municipal Health Information Officer, Bawa Abdul-Hakeem, who confirmed this in an interview said even though there was shortage of the vaccine in the area, health authorities had not obtained any signals of the disease to warrant a scare or panic.


He explained that the District Directorate of Health only put in requests for vaccines whenever there was an imminent outbreak of the disease.

Mr Abdul-Hakeem hinted that the Directorate had put in place surveillance systems in all health facilities in the Municipality to monitor and report any suspected case of the CSM as an early warning measure.


The directorate had embarked on series of public education campaigns in the area against CSM and other diseases, and assured the residents that the Directorate was fully prepared to stand up to any epidemic.


He urged the residents to sleep in well ventilated rooms and avoid crowded places as much as possible.