The number of people who have died from the dangerous Meningitis has risen to 85, with more than 400 people infected, the Health Ministry has announced.

This was said in Parliament by the Health Minister Alex Segbefia, when he appeared before the House to brief Members of Parliament on the disease, Thursday.

Nine regions in Ghana-Brong Ahafo, Northern, Ashanti, Eastern, Volta, Greater Accra, Upper West, Upper East and Western regions have been hit by the disease since its outbreak in 2015.

It has continued to spread quickly to other regions with the exception of the Central region

The first reported death emerged from the Tain district in the in December but the disease spread to Wenchi, Techiman, Bruohan, Kintampo, and Sene.

The Health Minister presented some medical supplies and logistics to the Brong Ahafo regional directorate to help in dealing with the outbreak, Wednesday.

Reported as the worst-hit region, the Minister said it will receive a greater part of some ₵200,000 that has been released by the Ministry of health to fight the disease.

The latest deaths were recorded in the Wa District of the Upper West region. A total of 15 cases have been recorded in the district so far with three deaths.

It occurs when bacteria known as the meninges invades the bloodstream and infect the membranes protecting the brain and the spinal cord.

The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord.

Meanwhile, a member of the Parliamentary Health Committee, Dr Twum Nuamah, thinks that the Health Ministry is concentrating more on treating the disease than educating the public about it.

“We should add it to our plan to sensitize the entire country when we are getting close to the hamattan season,” he told Joy News.

The country has been recording meningitis cases each year especially between the months of October and March.

“We think as a country that has always been having outbreaks of meningitis, we should have been able to manage it better than we are doing now, he said.