By Ishmael Junourgh 
Health authorities in the Sissala East Municipality are intensifying surveillance and preventive measures following the emergence of suspected yellow fever cases among members of the Fulani community, with municipal authorities reporting 18 suspected cases across several communities.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Sissala East, Hon. Adamu Yakubu, said the situation emerged after a series of persistent deaths among members of the Fulani community over the past month, prompting the municipality and health authorities to investigate the cause.
According to Hon. Yakubu, the Municipal Health Directorate collected samples from affected persons and sent them to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra for laboratory investigation.
He said the municipality was subsequently informed that the samples indicated yellow fever.
The development follows reports of unexplained deaths among Fulani residents in parts of the municipality. Earlier reports from the Sissala East Municipal Health Directorate indicated that four blood samples had been sent to Accra, with one testing positive for yellow fever, while additional samples were taken to establish whether other cases were also linked to the disease. Health authorities described yellow fever as the probable cause while investigations continued.
Hon. Yakubu said the municipality had recorded 18 suspected cases, with three institutional deaths; deaths that occurred at health facilities and CHPS compounds; at the time of his remarks.
He also identified communities where cases had been reported, giving an indication of the geographical spread of the suspected outbreak.
According to the MCE, Dolombizon had recorded about seven cases, making it the community with the highest number among those he listed. Sumboru, Nakowie,Chenchang and Manduano had each recorded one case, while Suawabelle, near the Sissala West area, had recorded about two cases.
Taken together, the communities specifically mentioned by the MCE account for 13 of the 18 suspected cases he reported, leaving five cases that were not individually allocated to communities in his remarks.
The figures should not, however, be interpreted as confirmed yellow-fever deaths or confirmed infections in every location. The municipal health authorities have continued to conduct investigations and collect additional samples to determine the precise cause of the deaths and suspected cases.
Fulani Communities bear the Brunt
Asked why the reported cases appeared to be concentrated among the Fulani rather than the indigenous Sissala and Kasina populations, Mr Yakubu pointed to the living conditions of some Fulani settlements.
He said many of the affected communities were located in interior or bush areas where access to potable or pipe-borne water could be difficult.
He also mentioned the presence of numerous flies and other biting insects in such environments, which he said could expose residents to diseases.
The MCE’s comments were made in the context of explaining the environmental and living conditions of the affected communities. They should not be taken to mean that flies have been established as the cause or transmission route of yellow fever.
The Municipal Health Directorate has specifically explained that yellow fever is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, rather than through direct person-to-person contact. This is consistent with guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), which states that yellow fever virus is transmitted to humans primarily through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Health officials have advised residents to reduce exposure to mosquito bites, including by sleeping under insecticide-treated nets.
Mr Yakubu said the Assembly had consequently begun health education in the affected communities to encourage residents to adopt practices that could reduce their exposure to disease.
Health Teams move in
The MCE said health personnel from Accra and the Upper West Region had arrived in the municipality to assess the situation and support the local response.
He said trained health professionals were also being prepared to undertake immunisation as part of measures to control the outbreak.
The national health authorities were expected to determine whether vaccination would be conducted across the affected areas or targeted at specific populations, following further assessment of the situation.
Mr Yakubu appealed to residents not to panic, saying the municipal authorities, health professionals and security agencies were monitoring the situation.
“People should not be alarmed,” he said, assuring residents that the municipality had “put our eye on it” and would take the necessary measures to contain the situation.
Health System under Pressure
The suspected outbreak has also exposed the pressure on healthcare delivery in the municipality.
Mr Yakubu said Sissala East, with a population of more than 90,000 people, currently has only one medical doctor serving the municipality.
He identified the doctor as Dr Danso, who took over from Dr Ayariga and Dr Saka, and said the Assembly was working with the Regional Coordinating Council and the Regional Health Directorate to secure additional doctors.
The MCE said attracting and retaining doctors in the area had been a longstanding challenge, with some doctors posted to the region failing to report.
To address the problem, he said the Assembly was introducing incentives, including assistance with accommodation, to make working in Sissala East more attractive to medical professionals.
Roads opened to improve emergency response
Mr Yakubu also pointed to the opening of two town roads as one of the major interventions undertaken since he assumed office.
He said some communities had previously been difficult to access, particularly during emergencies.
Working with the Tumu Traditional Council, the landlord of Tumu and the Member of Parliament, the Assembly opened up a traditional route in the Zongo area.
The exercise involved demolishing structures that obstructed the route and relocating some electricity poles to create easier access.
Hon. Yakubu said the intervention was particularly important for emergency situations, where delays in transporting sick or injured people could have serious consequences.
Water and sanitation efforts
The MCE also highlighted water and sanitation interventions as part of the municipality’s broader public health efforts.
He said the Assembly observes the monthly environmental sanitation exercise and has been working to improve cleanliness across communities.
On water supply, he said the government, through the District Assemblies Common Fund, had allocated resources for water and sanitation, enabling the Assembly to drill boreholes in a number of communities.
The interventions, he said, were intended to increase access to potable water, particularly in communities where residents have historically faced difficulties obtaining safe water.
For Sissala East, however, the immediate concern remains the suspected yellow fever outbreak and the unexplained deaths that preceded it.
With health teams now conducting surveillance, collecting additional samples and preparing preventive interventions, authorities are urging residents to remain calm, seek medical attention when they develop symptoms and follow public health advice.
The latest health investigations will be critical in determining how many of the reported cases and deaths were actually caused by yellow fever and whether the suspected outbreak has spread beyond the communities initially identified.