The Ghana Health Service has confirmed that Monkeypox cases in the country have increased from 12 to 18.

According to the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick, 72 suspected cases were tested and 18 came out positive.

Addressing the media at a meet-the-press session, he said the infected persons are between the ages of 9 months and 41 years.

No death has been recorded among the confirmed cases.

The cases are concentrated in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern and Bono regions.

“We have had about 72 suspected cases and 18 so far have tested positive, and the last case was on the 14th of June. The age ranges between 9 months and 41 years, and we have found them in Greater Accra, Ashanti, bono and Eastern regions. Nobody has died from Monkeypox yet,” Dr. Kumah Aboagye said.

He said the government has effectively worked to contain the spread of the disease and is hoping that it will continue to do that to keep the cases low.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that he would convene an emergency committee meeting on Thursday, to determine if the expanding monkeypox outbreak that has spread outside Africa should be considered a global health emergency.

Ghana recorded its first five cases of Monkeypox disease on May 24, 2022.

Monkeypox symptoms often include fever and rash, but the infection is usually mild.

Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although it is much less severe and experts say chances of infection are low.

It occurs mainly in remote parts of central and west African countries, near tropical rainforests.