The Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Alexis Nang-Beifubah, has stated that the country risks a looming disaster, if it fails to put in place the requisite mechanisms in the face of an imminent outbreak of the Human Influenza A (HI NI).

"We had all the time to tackle this issue since the first case was reported, but we have not done so. If we fail in the face of a possible outbreak of this disease, we would have to blame ourselves," he cautioned.

At a day's sensitization workshop on the disease in Wa, Dr Nang-Beifubah deplored apathy among Ghanaians and stressed that "we must begin to learn from other countries to be able to make amends".

Citing the recent floods that hit some parts of Accra as an example, Dr Nang-Beifubah noted that it was all because "we have failed to learn from our past mistakes".

He mentioned some similar influenza pandemics in the past as the Spanish flu in 1918 and the Hong Kong flu, which occurred in 1960 and killed one million people, and said the Human Influenza A (HI N I) was not a new disease.

Giving an overview of the disease, a biomedical scientist at the Wa Regional Hospital, Madam Theresa Salifu, said the disease, which had been detected in South Africa, Egypt and lately Cote d'Ivoire, was transmitted through breathing, coughing and sneezing, among others.

She described it as a highly contagious disease, saying "we must all help in containing its infections if it is detected in the country".

Madam Salifu mentioned some of the early symptoms as sore throat, aching muscles, hay fever and difficulty in breathing.


Source: Daily Graphic