The Ghana Health Service is on high alert after detecting Vaccine Derived Poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in an environmental sample collected from Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital.
The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research’s Polio Laboratory conducted routine surveillance, which led to this conclusion.
According to a news release issued on Tuesday, September 17, Health Minister Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye verified that the sample collected on August 20 was identified as cVDPV2 on September 5.
Dr. Okoe-Boye has referred to this discovery as a “public health emergency” and emphasized the importance of taking urgent measures to prevent the virus from spreading.
In response, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, has launched field investigations to identify the virus’s origins and assess the risk of it spreading regionally, especially to human populations.
Enhanced surveillance measures have also been implemented to provide more detailed monitoring.
The public is advised to take precautions such as enhanced hand washing, appropriate sanitation, and safe faeces disposal.
Additionally, parents are encouraged to ensure that their children complete their immunization schedules in order to enhance their protection against the virus.