Mr. Raphael Marfo, the Director of Port Health, has disclosed that the Tema Port enclave is a haven for yellow fever-causing mosquitoes more than the malaria-causing ones.
He appealed to the requisite health officials and the Tema Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), to put appropriate measures in place to help prevent an outbreak of the disease in the area.
He said yellow fever, according to the WHO was an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes belonging to the Aedes and Haemogogus species.
Mr Marfo who was speaking at the 2023 annual performance review of the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, said the Port Health together with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research had conducted research work into vector control in the area.
He said presently the Port was zoned, and mosquitoes taken and tested, showed more of the Culex than anopheles at the Tema port, which raised concerns for awareness and focus on yellow fever than malaria within the region.
He said in 2022, the Port Health provided a total of 5,625 yellow fever vaccination for 3,532 males and 2,093 females.
Out of the total, 367 people received the yellow fever vaccination in January 2022, while February and March accounted for 329, and 447 respectively, he said.
Mr Marfo also said in the second quarter of 2022, 378 people got vaccinated in April, 350 in May, and 502 in June.
The Port Health Director gave the statistics on the number pf persons vaccinated within the remaining months of the year 2022 as 497 persons in July, 585 in August, 552 in September, 534 October, 562 in November, and 522 in December.