Prime News Ghana

Meningitis outbreak: Mass screening for SHS form one students'

By Justice Kofi Bimpeh
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Mass health screening for SHS form one students' in the Upper East region will begin on Monday, December 18 as part of measures by the Ghana Health Service, GHS, and the Ghana Education Service, GES, to prevent an outbreak of any possible disease in the region.

At a stakeholder meeting which was attended by headmasters, district and municipal directors of education and the GHS in Bolgatanga, the Regional Director of health service Dr Winfred Ofosu said the exercise will help detect and prevent an outbreak among students in the region.

The mass screening which will commence on Monday comes in wake of a recorded outbreak of meningitis and swine flu in some second cycle institutions in the country.

Most hit in terms of death is the Kumasi Academy in the Ashanti region, Damongo, Bawku and Kofofidua Secondary schools also recorded deaths on their campus.

According to Dr Winfred Ofosu, the mass screening which is part of the free SHS policy package will help students know their health status.

"The screening will also be done for the nose, eye and ear."

He concluded that due to the huge number of students in the region the mass screening exercise will take a break after the students go on vacation and will resume next year January 16, 2018.

Read also: Sack Napo over meningitis outbreak- Koku Anyidoho yells

SHS students should be screened before vacation- ASEPA