UNICEF Ghana Humanitarian Flash Update No. 1 (Yellow Fever Outbreak), 1 – 18 October 2026

Please refer to the attached file. Highlights The Ministry of Health in Ghana officially declared a yellow fever outbreak in affected districts of the Upper West Region on 9 October 2026. As of 12 October 2026, the Upper West Region reported 121 suspected cases of yellow fever across 7 of its 11 districts. 19 of the suspected cases were positive for yellow fever with 3 confirmed. All 3 confirmed cases died. Three districts (Wa West, Sissala West and Sissala East) account for 86 cases (71 per cent of all suspected cases). The affected districts are located within a border corridor characterized by high population mobility, including refugee and livestock-raising communities, which may increase the risk of cross-border transmission and complicate surveillance and response efforts. Nearly 50 per cent of suspected cases (60 cases) are in children under 15 years including 16 children under 5 years and 44 children aged 5-14 years. The Government started a reactive vaccination campaign on 14 October 2026 in the 3 districts with PCR-confirmed cases (Wa West, Sissala East and Sissala West), targeting 244, 870 eligible persons aged 9 months to 60 years. Situation Overview On 31 August 2026, the Upper West Regional Health Directorate was notified of three patients with symptoms of acute haemorrhagic fever. National, regional and district response teams, with support from WHO, conducted active case searches, health-facility record reviews, risk assessments and entomological investigations. Samples were sent to Ghana’s National Public Health and Reference Laboratory, with selected samples referred to a regional laboratory in Dakar, Senegal, for confirmatory testing. As of 12 October 2026, the Upper West Region had reported 121 suspected yellow fever cases across 7 of the region’s 11 districts. Wa West, Sissala West and Sissala East remain the most affected districts, accounting for 86 of the 121 suspected cases. Children under 15 account for nearly half of suspected cases. Nineteen cases tested positive for yellow fever (IgM-positive). Three cases were further confirmed through advanced laboratory testing in Dakar; all three persons died. Recorded deaths among investigated cases include 8 institutional deaths and 5 community deaths; not all have been established as yellow fever deaths. Sustained surveillance, timely referral, safe burials and community engagement remain critical. Following approval from the International Coordinating Group (ICG), the Government undertook a reactive vaccination in Wa West, Sissala East and Sissala West, targeting 244, 870 eligible people aged 9 months to 60 years, with a mop-up beginning on 19 October 2026. UNICEF deployed staff members to monitor the reactive campaign in the three districts. UNICEF also facilitated the procurement of approximately 190, 000 vaccine doses to support the reactive vaccination campaign. This campaign is expected to be the primary intervention to interrupt transmission and prevent further spread. Additionally, UNICEF has been supporting RCCE activities across all seven affected districts. To date, 432 frontline workers and community volunteers have been trained in surveillance, referral, immunization and RCCE; 81 community volunteers, religious and traditional leaders, teachers and media representatives are supporting community engagement activities; 7 radio stations are disseminating lifesaving information; and 250, 000 people have been reached through RCCE interventions. The outbreak is affecting a border region with communities that move with their livestock, as well as refugee and host populations that may face barriers to timely information, vaccination and health services. Misinformation, delayed reporting and resource constraints may further hinder the response. Reactive vaccination, early detection and referral, strengthened surveillance, mosquito-bite prevention and sustained community engagement remain critical to controlling the outbreak.

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