Takoradi: Mr Kwadwo Okyere Apenteng, the Chief Pharmacist at the Western Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has announced that the Directorate has reactivated its public health emergency response team to enhance active surveillance in an effort to curb the spread of Monkeypox (Mpox) disease in the region. This action comes as a response to the noticeable increase in Mpox cases recorded in recent weeks.

According to Ghana News Agency, as of June 17, 2025, the Western Region had reported 175 suspected and 36 confirmed Mpox cases spread across nine out of the 14 districts. Notably, the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality accounted for the highest number of confirmed cases, with 17 individuals affected. Encouragingly, since the first confirmed case in May, the region has not experienced any deaths, with 12 individuals having successfully recovered and no current hospital admissions.

During the Western Region Development Retreat, Mr Apenteng elaborated on the measures being taken, stating: “As a directorate, we have reactivated the Public Health Emergency Response Team to coordinate daily activities. We are receiving updates from districts, managing cases, and conducting active surveillance.” He further detailed that the team has identified 175 suspected cases and has been actively tracing and monitoring 246 contacts for possible infection.

In addition to these efforts, the team has also increased its risk communication activities to better inform and educate the public on identifying signs and symptoms of Mpox, as well as adhering to preventive protocols to control the disease’s spread.