Western Region records one Mpox death

The Western Regional Health Directorate has confirmed one Mpox-related death in the region.

Dr. Gifty Amugi, the Western Regional Deputy Director for Public Health, disclosed this during a media engagement organized by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in Takoradi to update the public on the Mpox situation and to enhance awareness in the fight against the disease.

She stated that as of September 18, 2025, the region had recorded a cumulative total of 246 confirmed Mpox cases, with 52 currently active, two patients on admission, one critically ill, and 190 recoveries.

Dr. Amugi also noted that there had been 724 cumulative suspected cases and 963 contacts listed across 13 out of the 14 districts in the region.

She gave the update at a media engagement, organised by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) at Takoradi, on the Mpox situation in the region, and how they could help to deepen awareness creation to help combat the spread of the disease in the region.

She said the region had become the epicentre of the Mpox disease in terms of the national figures.

This, she said, was largely due to a lag in social behavioural change and perceived low disease consequences among the people.

Dr Amugi said: “Despite our sustained efforts, the outbreak seems not to abate because the message also seems not to have gone down well with the people, and so we must all do our part to break the chain of infection.”

She implored the journalists to use their media platforms to amplify the education and sensitisation on the best practices to avoid contracting the virus.

“Let’s make the noise to the people about the best practices like regular hand washing with soap, avoid coming into contact with rodents and wild animals, and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and others so that we can collectively break the chain of transmission,” she added.

Participants at the engagement took turns to pledge their commitment to use their platforms to deepen the awareness creation and sensitisation programmes to help curb the spread of the Mpox disease in the region.