A/H1N1 flu hits schools in Ghana's capital
The pandemic A/H1N1 influenza, which hit Ghana last August,
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In an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday, Dr. Vera Opata, acting deputy director of the Regional Health Directorate, said that so far about 200 positive cases have been recorded.
"All the infected persons have been treated and discharged and no deaths were recorded due to timely intervention by the health authorities," the health official said.
She explained that schools were hard hit because of the crowding and the interactive nature of the pupils and that the basic preventive measures, including the availability of water to wash hands periodically, are conspicuously absent in most of the schools.
The A/H1N1 flu is caused by a virus that affects the respiratory system and typically spreads through coughs and sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces.
The disease, which may present itself like common cold with cough, sore throat, fever, catarrh, general weakness, body ache and headache, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea, may also lead to severe pneumonia with difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing and chest pain.
According to Opata, the Greater Accra Region has embarked on a massive public awareness campaign among teachers and health personnel, while the media have warned parents not to hesitate in sending their children to health facilities if they notice symptoms of cold.
"With early detection, the patient is treated with the necessary medication and put under observation together with the close relatives to prevent further transmission to other people," she said.
The Ghana Health Service, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, will soon take delivery of vaccines to mitigate the spread of the influenza to reduce the impact of the pandemic on health and minimize disruption to society and the economy.
The first phase of the exercise would target health workers and the national security personnel since they would be at the forefront during the exercise, Michael Adjabeng,
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He added the vaccines are expected in batches and would be 500,000 doses for each batch.
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