At least seven people have died following a confirmed Yellow Fever outbreak in the Sissala East Municipality of the Upper West Region, with children and young people reportedly among the worst affected.

The Municipal Health Directorate has confirmed the outbreak, with several cases concentrated in the municipality.

Residents say most of those affected are children and young people between the ages of zero and 25, raising concerns over the spread and severity of the disease.

The situation has sparked anxiety among residents, particularly in communities where the deaths have been recorded.

The Fulani chief in one of the worst-affected communities described the situation as extremely disturbing, saying several children have died under circumstances that initially raised concerns about a possible new disease.

According to him, the first reported case involved a child who was taken to the hospital and subsequently referred for further treatment but died two days later.

“Children are indeed dying here. The first case was reported at the hospital, and the child was referred to the hospital, but he unfortunately died two days later, blood coming out of his nostrils and mouth,” he said.

The chief said his concerns intensified as the number of deaths increased.

He explained that after four deaths had been recorded, he contacted health officials and urged them to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

“When the number of deaths got to four, I told them it may be a new disease. They promised to check it and report it to their superiors.”

However, according to the chief, more children continued to die after the initial concerns were raised, compelling him to escalate the matter to the Tumu Traditional Council.