Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfProc7): Abstract 107 | Published: 13 Oct 2026
Jabir Seidu1,2,&, Belinda Nsiah Opoku2, Samuel Dapaa2, Saeed Jabactey Abdullah3, Titus Yaawie4 , Magdalene Odikro2, Samuel Sackey2 , Ernest Kenu2
1Ghana Health Service, 2Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, 3Food and Drugs Authority, 4Veterinary Service Department
&Corresponding author: Jabir Seidu, Ghana Health Service Headquarters – Public Health Division, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana; Email: sd.jabir45@gmail.com
Received: 29 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 13 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
This is part of the Proceedings of the 8th Ghana FELTP Scientific Conference and FELTP Competency Graduation, Accra, Ghana, 10 – 11 December, 2025
Keywords: Measles, Greater Accra Region, Outbreak, Ghana, Vaccination, Children
©Jabir Seidu et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Jabir Seidu et al. Distribution and Determinants of Measles Cases in Greater Accra Region,Ghana, 2020-2024. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):107. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-00107
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable childhood disease. In 2022, over 136,000 measles deaths occurred globally, mostly in children under five. Africa bears the highest burden, with frequent outbreaks. Despite the availability of vaccines, measles transmission persists in Ghana, especially in urban areas like Greater Accra Region, with incidence rising from 0.8 per million in 2015 to 41.9 per million in 2019. This study analyzed 2020–2024 surveillance data to explore case distribution and its key determinants.
An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using measles surveillance data extracted from the Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS) for the period 2020–2024. Key variables included age, sex, vaccination status, residence, district, and laboratory results. Data were cleaned and analyzed using Excel and STATA 17. Demographic characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics, while binary logistic regression identified predictors of measles positivity. Spatial distribution maps were generated using QGIS.
Out of 1,763 suspected cases, 8.2% (145/1,763) were confirmed IgM positive. The median age was 3 years; with the majority 57.2% (83/145) aged 1–4years. Accra Metro recorded the highest proportion of confirmed cases 32.5% (50/145). Children who received at least one measles vaccine dose had 70% lower odds of infection compared to those unvaccinated (AOR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1–0.4; p < 0.001). Males had 40% lower odds of infection than females (AOR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–0.9; p = 0.001). Urban residents had higher odds of infection than rural residents (AOR = 2.2; 95% CI: 0.9–5.7), although this association was not statistically significant (p = 0.10).
The study revealed most measles cases occurring in children under five, particularly among males. Unvaccinated and female children were more likely to be infected. More cases were observed in urban districts, though not statistically significant. Strengthening immunization and surveillance remains key to measles elimination in Ghana.
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