Ghana has confirmed its first Mpox-related death, health authorities announced Sunday, as infections surge across the West African nation. Twenty-three new cases were reported in the past week, pushing the total number of infections to 257 since the virus emerged in June 2022. This marks the largest weekly increase to date, and the first fatality linked to the disease in Ghana.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh assured citizens the outbreak remains under control, urging early detection and responsible behaviour. Mpox, formerly known as Monkeypox, is a viral illness related to smallpox, causing fever, muscle pain and distinctive skin lesions.
It spreads through close contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials and can be fatal in severe cases. Ghana’s public health agency expects to receive vaccines from the World Health Organization in the coming days.
“Our at-risk populations have already been identified, and we are ready to roll out vaccination as soon as doses arrive,” said Franklyn Asiedu-Bekoe, a director at the health service.
Ghana’s outbreak reflects a wider regional struggle, as West African nations face growing Mpox caseloads and limited resources. Sierra Leone alone recorded 3,350 cases and 16 deaths from January to late May, highlighting the scale of the crisis.
The World Health Organization also reports thousands of cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Burundi this year. According to Africa CDC, over 47,000 Mpox infections and 221 deaths have been documented across the continent since early 2024.
Of these, at least 27,000 cases were recorded in just the first half of this year, pointing to an escalating emergency. WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently reaffirmed that Mpox remains a global health threat, especially in West Africa.