Red Cross cautions Ghana on Cholera resurgence amid rainy season

Mr. Faith Dube, the Red Cross Society International Cholera Surge Delegate to Ghana, has concluded his emergency response service in the country.

He has urged Ghanaians to uphold strict hygiene standards, as the onset of the rainy season could trigger a resurgence of cholera.

During an interview following a health emergency response meeting with officials from the Ghana Health Service in the six cholera-affected districts of the Central Region, Mr. Dube noted that Ghana experienced cholera outbreaks during the dry season, with 21 confirmed deaths in the Central Region alone. This underscores a heightened risk as the rains begin.

Mr. Dube emphasised the importance of personal hygiene practices, such as regular handwashing, and adherence to other preventive measures to avoid the spread of cholera. He encouraged the public to maintain strict hygiene and sanitation practices, alongside vaccination efforts and public awareness campaigns, to curb cholera outbreaks.

He provided details about the Red Cross Society's initiatives to combat the cholera outbreak, which included donating essential equipment such as Veronica buckets, aqua tabs, and solar-powered knapsack sprayers to state institutions.

The Red Cross also supplied 54,192 cholera vaccines to the Ghana Health Service for vaccination efforts in Mfantseman, Cape Coast, and Komenda-Edina-Eguaafo-Abrem, while intensifying risk communication and community engagement.

To support these efforts, Mr. Dube stated that the Red Cross had recruited 205 volunteers across six districts, including Agona West, Effutu, Mfantseman, Abura-Asiebu-Kwamankese, Cape Coast, Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira, and KEEA. These volunteers mobilised efforts to raise awareness, promote preventive behaviors, and engage in one-on-one discussions in schools, churches, and with religious and traditional leaders.

Since the outbreak, he noted that with the combined efforts of all stakeholders, the cholera vaccine campaign and education initiatives successfully reached over 94.1% of the target population.

Mr. Dube reaffirmed the Red Cross's commitment to continue training and capacity building for Ghanaians in epidemic management and expressed gratitude to stakeholders for their ongoing support.

Mr. Mohammed Baidoo, the Central Regional Manager of the Red Cross Ghana, urged Ghanaians to prioritize personal hygiene and adopt best sanitation practices to prevent cholera outbreaks. He highlighted that cholera, a severe diarrheal disease caused by contaminated food and water, thrives in environments with poor sanitation and improper waste management.

He called on communities to improve hygiene by regularly washing their hands with soap, ensuring safe food preparation, and disposing of waste properly to interrupt the transmission cycle of the disease. Mr. Baidoo emphasised the critical need for a change in attitudes regarding waste disposal habits, particularly condemning the practice of dumping fecal matter into drains, which exacerbates the spread of cholera.

He concluded by stating that the Red Cross, in collaboration with health authorities, continues to advocate for sustained sanitation improvements and behavioral change to protect public health and prevent future cholera epidemics in Ghana.