Is Hot Chop-Bar Soup Now Causing Cholera In Accra?

May God/Allah help Ghana out of this embarrassing disease called Cholera because of its connection with filth and flies; the earlier it is dealt with, the better for Ghana. The direction taken by city Authorities however gives cause for concern and reason for an intervention like this write up even though not from an authority on Cholera.

The powers-that-be in Accra is reported as pouring away soup on fire at the traditional canteens and taking some restaurants on for smelling environment, rusty stoves and stone weight on gas cylinder, among others. In truth this is a face-saving move through finding scape-goats than eliminating the disease. If the same Authorities that is recommending warm foods to avoid cholera would destroy hot food on fire, is it not a contradiction? Or did the situation at the restaurants attract flies even if it was unattractive!

How critically has AMA appraised the pollution of the Weija Dam for example as the main source of water supply to Accra and environs, and also it's inability to dispose of refuse in Accra, considering its complaint about unavailable dumping site! If it did then it will leave the food alone and tackle fly-attracting spots anywhere including of course, the prepared-food vending areas. If it is not seeking scapegoats for others' negligence then it will be realized that even cleaning gutters now when the cholera has already reared its head is like putting the cart before the horse!

The refuse and feces should not have been there before the rainy season with it's attendant floods. But this is the interesting Ghana's seat of government where at some places refuse- bearing residents would be asked to send their refuse back home because the public refuse container is full but not collected. Or landlords will convert toilets into rooms to rent and there may be about 1000 people to one public toilet.

Apart from avoiding flies as the main cholera vector let us not forget the drinking and kitchen water that Accra is served. Even as sachet water abounds, it is not all who can afford this improved life essential, so some still drink the raw pipe-borne water from Ghana Water Company as the "Panyin de panyin" or directly from their water pots.

Sincerely speaking, from the color of the water it is without doubt that the polluted untreated water is what sometimes is served either through negligence, error, economizing, or whatever. Pollution of the Weija Dam has been occasionally hinted by the complaints of Water company as encroachment and human activities around it. This pollution is also hinted in the book I contributed to entitled "I am River Densu" published by Afram Publications as far back as in 1992, which London's Noma Award selected for Honorable Mention. It is also no secret that water-borne diseases have been the highest outpatient cases at health centers for a along time now.

If all soups are poured away in such antagonistic manner for fear of cholera but polluted water is used to wash utensils and peel-free fruits like apple, mango, carrot, etc. or drank directly even if the sediments have settled, then cholera is still not warded off! 18,445cases (15610 deaths) with 150 cases (110 deaths) is claimed by Ministry of Health to be the record for whole Ghana and Accra respectively between June and September 2014. Could AMA not have done something to prevent a greater part of this embarrassing tragedy in our generally "educated" Ghana?

KWABENABA K.