Tema: Ms Portia Efua Ntsiful, Health Promotion Officer, Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, has called on the public to step up personal and environmental hygiene practices to help reduce the spread of Monkey Pox (Mpox) in Ghana. Mpox is a viral disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and also from one human to another, with symptoms including fever, skin rashes, swollen lymph nodes, body aches, and general weakness.

According to Ghana News Agency, Ms Ntsiful made the appeal during a sensitisation exercise organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Tema Region, as part of the childhood vaccination campaign. She said that although government agencies were working hard to track and manage new cases, public cooperation was crucial in containing the spread of the virus. She said practising good hygiene, such as regular hand washing with soap under running water, avoiding close contact with infected persons, and keeping the environment clean, could significantly reduce the chances of infection.

Ms Ntsiful explained that the Mpox virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, skin lesions, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials like bedding, clothing, or utensils and warned against handling wild animals, especially rodents and primates, which were known carriers of the virus. She urged community leaders, teachers, and religious organisations to support awareness campaigns and educate people about the symptoms and prevention of Mpox, saying that everyone has a role to play in combating the virus.

The health promotion officer also encouraged individuals who experience symptoms such as unusual skin rashes, fever, or body pains to seek medical care immediately instead of resorting to self-medication or traditional treatments.