The death toll from a scourge of two viral diseases on the campuses of Senior High Schools (SHSs) in three regions across the country has hit eight.
The latest case is the death of a student of Tempane SHS in the Upper East region who is believed have shown symptoms of meningitis.
Director General of Public Health, Dr Badu Sarkodie, confirmed the Tempane SHS incident but says more information has been requested.
“We have requested the Regional Minister to provide more information to this [Tempane SHS] situation,” he told Joy News.
Seven students have died from either the H1N1 virus or meningitis so far with the last two cases recorded at the Bawku Senior Technical School also in the Upper East Region and Damongo SHS in the Northern Region.
One student of the Bawku Senior High Technical School has died from meningitis, while five others are on admission.
Also, the Damongo District Hospital has indicated that the death of a student at Damongo SHS was caused by non-communicable meningitis.
Many more students across the country are currently receiving medical attention after exhibiting symptoms of either one of the diseases.
But at the Kumasi Academy in the Ashanti Region, four students died from Influenza Type A popularly referred to as Swine Flu.
Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu has said 12 out of the 19 cases from the school sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute has tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, Head of Disease and Surveillance Unit at the Ghana Health Service has identified congestion at secondary schools as a risk factor for the spread of the diseases, especially meningitis.
Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe told Evans Mensah on Joy FM’s Top Story Wednesday, the crowded nature of classrooms and dormitories at SHSs poses a challenge to students.
The congestion at secondary schools set in following the start of free SHS policy.
“If the pathogen is in your throat [and] so far as you are one meter apart the other person can get it,” he explained.
Medical Director at the Bawku Hospital, Dr Clement Oppong has said he finds the timing of the cases surprising since meningitis, for instance, usually breaks between February and April.
