The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has urged the government to immediately initiate efforts towards acquiring Monkeypox (Mpox) vaccines following the confirmation of a case in the country.
It said the government must consider stockpiling vaccines in view of the upsurge in cases on the Africa continent and its potential to spread beyond, in order to provide needed protection for the populace.
“The PSGH calls on government as a matter of urgency to ensure early acquisition and distribution of Mpox vaccines, prioritising vaccination of frontline health workers including community pharmacists and vulnerable groups,” it said in a statement issued in Accra yesterday.
While calling for the strengthening of public health surveillance and response measures as well as the need to provide adequate resources to healthcare facilities, the PSGH advised its members to remain vigilant and serve as key points of education and referral in their communities and health facilities.
It encouraged pharmacists to adopt screening and triaging at service points, intensify public education on the disease while using personal protective equipment (PPE) in handling suspected cases.
“Pharmacists should ensure that all pharmaceutical support staff are properly trained, supervised and provided with the needed knowledge.
All staff should adhere to protocols in the performance of their duties to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases including Mpox.”
The statement urged the public to observe personal hygiene, monitor their health, avoid self-medication and stay safe from contacts they suspect of Mpox.
“The PSGH adds its voice to that of the Africa CDC to call on the international community to provide the necessary support, resources and assistance to relevant continental bodies and affected countries including Ghana, with the same urgency and seriousness as was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic,” it appealed.
It will be recalled that with over 120 countries confirming more than 100,000 cases of Mpox since its global outbreak in 2022, the World Health Organisation in September this year, approved the use of the MVA-BN vaccine from Danish pharmaceutical company, Bavarian Nordic to help contain the outbreak.
The first pre-qualified vaccine against Mpox, is to facilitate timely and increased access for millions at risk especially in Africa where since the beginning of 2024 alone, 25,237 cases have been confirmed in 14 countries with about 720 deaths.
The MVA-BN vaccine, estimated to have 82 per cent effectiveness, can be given in two doses to people 18 years and older, four weeks apart.
For infants, young children, pregnant women and immune-compromised people, the vaccine may be used in situations where the benefits of the vaccine are greater than potential risks.
In instances where the vaccine supply is limited, the health organisation recommends distribution in single doses, which is 76 per cent effective.
On Friday, October 4, 2024, the WHO announced the approval of the first diagnostic test Alinity m MPXV assay for Mpox, which will provide real-time results and enable detection of the virus by testing swabs of skin lesions.
Following the confirmation of Ghana’s first Mpox case this year on October 1, 25 contacts have since been traced to the patient and under monitoring and investigations.
A total of 230 suspected cases of Mpox have so far been reported from 88 districts in all 16 regions of the country this year, although in 2022 and 2023, the country recorded 120 and eight cases, respectively with four deaths.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH