The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, says Ghana has recorded eight deaths and more than 1,000 confirmed cases of Mpox since a new outbreak began in May 2025.
Mr Akandoh disclosed this in Parliament while responding to questions from Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin about the rising number of cases across the country.
According to the minister, the Ministry of Health Ghana, through the Ghana Health Service and its partners, activated a coordinated response to control the outbreak and protect public health.
He said the latest update as of March 3, 2026, shows that Ghana has recorded 1,038 confirmed cases and eight deaths, mostly among people with underlying health conditions.
Currently, only one patient is on admission, and there are no critical cases.
Mr Akandoh noted that 124 districts across all regions—representing about 47.5 percent of the country—have reported cases, with the Greater Accra Region and Western Region recording the highest numbers.
He said the government’s response includes strengthened surveillance, contact tracing with 21-day monitoring, and increased public education.
Laboratory testing is being carried out at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research.
On vaccination, the minister said Ghana received 33,600 Mpox vaccines from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
He added that 31,231 people in 12 districts in the Ashanti, Greater Accra and Western regions have already been vaccinated, representing more than 95 percent of the targeted population.
Mr Akandoh also assured that the government is covering medical expenses for patients affected by the outbreak.
He said although some sporadic cases have been recorded in recent months, the overall trend shows a significant decline following the vaccination campaign.
