Ghana Battles Deadly Meningitis Outbreak Amid Shrinking Foreign Aid and Health System Struggles

Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman's reporting project investigates a deadly meningitis outbreak sweeping through Ghana’s Upper West Region, exposing the fragility of the country’s health care system amid dwindling foreign aid and limited resources.

Through storytelling, this project brings to light the lived experiences of families devastated by the disease, and captures both the medical urgency and the social stigma surrounding meningitis in rural communities. Dini-Osman travels to the epicenter of the outbreak to document how delayed care, misinformation, and spiritual beliefs are contributing to preventable deaths.

Reporting also examines broader structural challenges, including under-resourced hospitals, the absence of an approved vaccine for the strain in question, and growing concerns about antimicrobial resistance.

Speaking with front-line health workers, survivors, public health officials, and scientists, the reporting critically explores how shrinking U.S. foreign aid and global funding cuts are impacting Ghana’s ability to respond to outbreaks, with health experts warning of long-term consequences for disease prevention and research.