Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 124 | Published: 15 Oct 2026
Judith Maame Tanoa Yelbert1,&, Phoebe Ohene Kwatia2, Dennis Laryea3
1University of Ghana Medical Center, 2Sawla District Hospital, Ghana Health Service, 3Disease Surveillance Department, Ghana Health Service
&Corresponding author: Judith Maame Tanoa Yelbert, University of Ghana Medical Center, Email: maametyelbert@gmail.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2984-5473
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 15 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Mpox, surveillance system evaluation, public health surveillance, integrated disease surveillance and response, acceptability
©Judith Maame Tanoa Yelbert 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: Judith Maame Tanoa Yelbert et al., Evaluation of the mpox surveillance system in the Shai-Osudoku District of Ghana. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):124. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-00124
Mpox remains an important emerging and re-emerging zoonotic disease of public health concern in Ghana. Effective surveillance systems are essential for the timely detection, reporting, and response to cases and outbreaks. Periodic evaluation of surveillance systems is necessary to determine whether they are achieving their intended objectives and identify areas for improvement.
A cross-sectional evaluation of the mpox surveillance system in Shai Osudoku District, Greater Accra Region, Ghana, was conducted using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updated Guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems. Retrospective surveillance data from suspected and confirmed mpox cases recorded between January 1 2024 to December 31, 2025, were reviewed. Also, 31 frontline healthcare workers involved in surveillance activities completed structured questionnaires assessing key system attributes. Quantitative data were analysed using R statistical software. Descriptive statistics, composite scores, and surveillance performance indicators were generated.
A total of 27 suspected mpox cases were identified, of which 9 were laboratory-confirmed, yielding a positive (PVP) predictive value of 33.3%. The median age of cases was 33 years, and 59.3% were male. The surveillance system demonstrated high acceptability (83.0%) and good representativeness (70.0%). Simplicity (65.8%) and flexibility (62.8%) showed moderate performance, while stability was weak (29.5%), reflecting challenges related to logistics, supplies, and operations. Data quality was generally good, with most key variables adequately completed. The median interval from symptom onset to specimen collection was 2.5 days, while laboratory turnaround time was 1 day, indicating satisfactory timeliness. The estimated sensitivity exceeded expected levels, suggesting effective case detection.
The mpox surveillance system in Shai Osudoku District is useful and largely meets its objective of detecting, reporting, and responding to suspected mpox cases. However, improvements in logistics, resource availability, training, and adherence to recommended specimen collection procedures are required to strengthen system stability.
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