Yellow fever response too slow; govt must cut bureaucracy – SEND Ghana
SEND Ghana Country Director Harriet Nuamah Agyemang has called on government to cut bureaucratic processes that delay emergency health responses following the recording of suspected yellow fever cases and reported deaths in affected communities.
SEND Ghana's Country Director Harriet Nuamah Agyemang has criticized the government for its sluggish response to suspected yellow fever cases in Ghana. She argues that bureaucratic red tape is hampering the emergency health response, causing delays that could cost lives. Between June and September 2026, health authorities documented around 450 suspected yellow fever cases, with 74 in the Upper West Region.
Three of these cases have been confirmed as yellow fever, but three deaths have been reported in the Sissala East District, though yellow fever has not yet been officially confirmed as the cause. The government has dispatched samples to Senegal for further testing, but an official yellow fever outbreak declaration is pending the results.
Agyemang claims the response has been too slow, with authorities only beginning to act four months after reports of suspected cases started coming in. She highlights the need for a more streamlined emergency response system, citing the government's recent deployment of a National Rapid Response Team and efforts to enhance laboratory testing.
However, she questions why it has taken so long for resources to be mobilized and questions the speed of the response. Agyemang calls for the simplification of emergency funding procedures to allow health authorities to act swiftly when outbreaks are suspected, urging a reduction in bureaucratic hurdles to improve Ghana's preparedness for public health emergencies.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
