The Upper East Region has set up an epidemic committee to take care of all forms of epidemic related diseases that may breakout in the region. The committee, chaired by Mr Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, would among other things formulate and enforce policies to check epidemic outbreaks such as the H1N1 influenza, Cholera, Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) and HIV/AIDS. It is made up of selected heads of department who would draw up proposals for funding in order to acquire logistics to run its planned activities. The committee has already put up a contingency action plan to help check the H1N1 influenza from spreading to the region and directed district assemblies in the region to enforce sanitation and other environmentally related bye-laws to nip potential outbreak of diseases in the bud. Deputy Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr James Akpabille, said the pandemic H1N1 influenza is highly contagious because it affects the respiratory system and even though it spreads fast the rate of deaths is low. He said the mode of transmission is mostly through droplets from coughing, sneezing and spitting by infected persons as well as touching surfaces that has the virus on it. Source: GNA