Deputy Regional Director in charge of Public Health, Dr Freeman Samson Samani
The Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has warned against a possible spike in the cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM), following the extremely hot weather conditions being experienced in the region.
Consequently, it has placed the region on high alert to contain any possible outbreak of epidemic proportions.
Furthermore, it warned that the situation could also increase the cases of cardiovascular, fever, headaches, and skin diseases in the region, therefore residents must be on the lookout and take the necessary measures to protect themselves.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times, the Deputy Regional Director in charge of Public Health, Dr Freeman Samson Samani, said residents must drink a lot of water and stay away from the heat where necessary.
He said where residents were unable to avoid such and would have to undertake activities that would expose them to the heat, then they must sit under shades, avoid overcrowded places, sleep in well-ventilated rooms as well as practise social distancing to avoid contracting the CSM.
Dr. Samani explained that individuals with heart diseases, obesity and respiratory conditions were more vulnerable to heat stress, adding that “These ailments which are perennial in the northern part of the country, from October to March, are now being exacerbated by the effects of climate change.”
It also advised the residents in the region to seek immediate medical attention at the nearest health centre when they experienced headache, fever, neck stiffness and said they should never try to treat CSM on their own since that could be deadly.
The Northern parts of the country are currently experiencing severe heat as a result of climate change and experts have warned that about 2.6 million people in the North could migrate to the South if the current climate crisis is not addressed.
The Deputy Regional Director in charge of Public Health of the Upper East Regional Directorate of the GHS, Dr. Freeman Samson Samani, in an interview said “This is the season that scores of residents confront the ailment of cerebrospinal meningitis, also called CSM, cardiovascular strain, skin diseases, including rashes.”
He said the effects of extreme hot weather on human health were further exacerbated by environmental, socio-economic, demographic, physiological and behavioural factors, and warned the residents to stick to precautions to keep the diseases at bay.
“Among the effects of high temperatures on human health are heat exhaustion, dehydration, respiratory issues, cardiovascular strain, and electrolyte imbalance,” Mr Samani said.
On the incidence of CSM, he said, children and the elderly were more vulnerable to contracting it following the excessive rise in temperatures, stressing that out of the 35 suspected CSM cases recorded so far in the region, one had been confirmed, and the victim had passed.
As part of measures to deal with the health impact of the extreme heat on residents in the region, he said Public Health officers had been put on high alert since October to look out for symptoms of CSM and other related diseases that were easily triggered by the hot weather.
The Regional Director for the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMET), Abu Braimah, said the temperature in the region stands at 43.4 degrees celsius as of March 15, 2025, and hinted that it could increase in the coming days.
He said residents should brace themselves for more heat, as the little drops of rain of late could trigger intense heat making the hot weather far from over.
Some residents who spoke to The Ghanaian Times on the subject, meanwhile, bemoaned the issue, blaming it on climate change.
They admonished persons who go about felling trees indiscriminately while engaging in other related environmental destructions, to desist from such practices.
Head Pastor and General Overseer of the Amazing Power Church International (APCI) in Bolgatanga, Prophet Joseph Billa, said the phenomenon of the hot weather had had a steep toll on church activities in all parts of the region recently.
A kenkey seller in Bolgatanga, Ba-Engintena Gubillah, stated that her family had been restive for the past month following the hot weather.
She stressed that the scorching sun had affected her economically because she found it considerably difficult to wander about the market to sell.