GHS Contains Yellow Fever Outbreak In Upper West

Story By: Deborah Adorsu

The Ghana Health Service GHS has contained a yellow fever outbreak after confirming four cases in the Upper West Region.

Director General of GHS Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea disclosed in an interview.

He said the cases were recorded between September and mid October 2026.

According to him the confirmed cases were detected in Sissala West, Wa West, Etu and Nadowli Kaleo.

Dr Akoriyea explained that samples were sent to Dakar Senegal for laboratory confirmation at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar which is the WHO regional reference laboratory for yellow fever.

“We had an outbreak of yellow fever but it has been curtailed. Between September and the first half of October we recorded cases more than two in this case that came confirmed from Dakar,” he stated.

He said health authorities immediately rolled out vaccination interventions to prevent further spread.

The Ministry of Health declared the outbreak on October 9 after three cases were initially confirmed in Sissala West and Wa West.

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh had earlier disclosed that Ghana recorded about 450 suspected cases nationwide between June and September with at least 74 in Upper West.

Dr Akoriyea added that investigations are ongoing to confirm whether some deaths recorded in affected communities were linked to yellow fever.

He also revealed that WHO has assessed Ghana’s own Public Health Reference Laboratory for international recognition of its yellow fever results. Until approval comes in writing all samples will still be sent to Senegal.