NO CAUSE FOR ALARM (AUGUST 7, 2009)

GHANA has been working hard to prevent the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza, otherwise known as swine flu, in the country since June this year when the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the existence of sustained human-to-human transmission in communities across the globe.
Our efforts have, however, not been able to contain the outbreak as the first case has been recorded in the Greater Accra Region.
The question that has been asked by many people since the WHO signalled that a pandemic influenza was underway is whether or not the country has positioned itself well to deal with an outbreak of any magnitude.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, allayed this fear when he outlined detailed action plans put in place by the government to contain the situation.
Playing the devil’s advocate, however, we dare say that the fears of many Ghanaians cannot be dismissed outright because of the way we have conducted public business in the past.
There is no doubt that we have the personnel and the institutions to deal with the situation and prevent its spread.
However, we need a different attitude to work if the plans outlined by the government are to achieve the desired effects.
Just like any health challenge such as bird flu, cholera and cerebro-spinal meningitis (CSM), the management of swine flu requires that society moves away from the way it has handled its environment in order not to create the fertile ground for the disease to spread.
The good news is that H1N1 viruses are not spread by food and one cannot get infected with the virus from eating pork or pork products. We are told that eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
Maybe what we need at this stage is a return to basic hygiene if we are to avoid a looming catastrophe.
Our health officials should intensify public education on the disease in order to empower the people with the right information to protect themselves. The state has a big and heavy responsibility to provide the required facilities to enable the people to access quality health care.
But beyond the mandate of the government, the people also have a responsibility to themselves and their families to observe basic health standards to stay healthy.
The only recorded case, which is an isolated case, makes it easy for the health authorities to deal with the challenge if health officials and the communities are given the needed orientation.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the recorded case does not mean that there is a policy failure on the part of the health authorities to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the country. Even advanced societies with very sophisticated health systems have not been spared the scourge of the disease.
We appeal to the health authorities to intensify their surveillance system and, if possible, mobilise all the resources to deal with this health challenge because any system failure will lead to a national disaster.
It is also important for the health authorities to put in place the structures to assure the people that notwithstanding the recording of the first case, they are safe if they observe basic health titbits in order not to cause unnecessary panic or alarm.
Even though the health authorities have given the assurance that they are on top of the situation, the everyday actions that are required to prevent the spread of the virus must involve all stakeholders, such as the government, health professionals and the people.