Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director‑General of the Ghana Health Service, visited Siriyiri in the Wa West District on Thursday and urged health officials, chiefs, queen mothers, youth groups and residents to step up mobilisation for the yellow fever reactive vaccination campaign.
Speaking to community leaders, the director noted the campaign had achieved 92 per cent coverage so far and stressed the need to reach the remaining population to prevent further infections and deaths. He appealed to all eligible people aged nine months to 60 years, excluding pregnant women, to get vaccinated and assured them the vaccine was safe and free of charge.
Dr Akoriyea said health teams would continue their efforts until the entire target population had been covered and that the campaign was critical to protecting children and other vulnerable groups from preventable disease. He also called for cooperation with health workers who would visit homes and for veterinary services to help reach mobile populations.
During the visit, Siriyiri chief Siri‑Naa Alhassan highlighted shortages of health personnel, inadequate infrastructure and limited transportation, noting that the community of about 2,360 people had only two nurses. He requested improvements to the health facility and a motorbike to support outreach services.
The GHS is conducting the yellow fever reactive vaccination campaign in Wa West, Sissala East and Sissala West districts as part of efforts to contain the outbreak. Dr Akoriyea urged journalists to support public education and accurate reporting on the vaccination exercise.
Health officials will continue to work with communities to establish health posts and improve access to healthcare while ensuring the campaign reaches its 100 per cent target.
