Fighting Cholera Together: The Real Cost of Poor Sanitation During the Rainy Season

Cholera is a preventable crisis that directly threatens our lives, families, and local economies. Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ghana tracked severe outbreaks stretching across the Greater Accra, Eastern, Western, Central, and Ashanti regions, demonstrating how rapidly waterborne disease escalates when community hygiene is compromised. As heavy rains pour, flash flooding severely mixes sewage with everyday drinking water sources, turning cholera into an immediate danger. Preventing this disease is a shared national and individual responsibility. While we demand systemic infrastructure from our leaders, every Ghanaian—especially local authorities, market leaders, and food handlers—must take immediate, practical steps to protect public health.

The Cold Facts: The High Price of Poor Sanitation

• 6,895 suspected cases and 602 confirmed infections were recorded within a single stretch of the recent outbreak across 126 districts.
• 51 tragic deaths occurred during that same tracking period, proving that delayed treatment has fatal consequences.
• 93 high-risk districts out of 261 nationwide have been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as priority intervention areas due to recurring sanitation vulnerabilities.
• 100% of deaths can be averted if targeted multi-sectoral hygiene and water treatments are strictly implemented in these priority areas.
• Severe drug resistance has emerged in specific bacterial strains, making medical treatment more complicated and far more expensive for families.

Printable Daily Cleanup Checklist

For Market Women Associations, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), and District Assemblies to enforce compliance under the "Operation Clean Your Frontage" bye-laws.

For Market Women & Traders (Morning & Evening)

• Clear the Frontage: Sweep and scrub your immediate vending zone before displaying goods and after closing.
• Secure Food Displays: Cover all raw, cooked, or processed food items with fine mesh nets or clean, tight lids.
• Set Up Veronica Buckets: Ensure an active handwashing station with clean running water and liquid soap is available at your stall.
• Manage Waste Bags: Place all vegetable trimmings, plastics, and debris into heavy-duty garbage bags; do not sweep them into walkways.
• Sanitize Money Hands: Keep a hand sanitizer bottle nearby or wash hands thoroughly after handling physical cash and before touching food.

For AMA & District Assembly Taskforces (Daily Enforcement)

• Inspect Drainage Channels: Ensure major market drains and gutters are completely free of plastic bottles and silt to prevent overflow.
• Audit Public Restrooms: Verify that market public toilets are disinfected daily, functioning properly, and equipped with handwashing soap.
• Enforce Waste Collection: Confirm that communal waste containers (e.g., Zoomlion skips) are emptied daily and not overflowing into the market square.
• Monitor Food Vendors: Actively inspect street food joints to ensure meals are served steaming hot and away from stagnant water puddles.
• Issue Sanctions: Issue immediate notices or fines to any trader or shop owner dumping trash into gutters during or after rainfall.

Flood Recovery Guide: How to Safely Disinfect Local Wells

Floodwater carries sewage, agricultural runoff, and heavy loads of cholera bacteria directly into open or poorly sealed hand-dug wells. Follow this step-by-step guide from public health standards to safely shock-chlorinate your water source after a flood.

Step 1: Clean and Pump Out the Well

• Remove any floating debris, sticks, or leaves from the well water.
• Clean and scrub the interior concrete lining or apron with a stiff brush and a strong chlorine solution.
• Use a submersible pump to pump out the dirty water until it runs completely clear. Discard this water away from nearby gardens or residential properties.

Step 2: Calculate and Mix the Chlorine Solution

• The Formula: For every cubic meter ($m^3$) of water left in the well, you need to add 10 liters of liquid chlorine disinfectant solution.
• The Mixture: Buy standard, unscented household bleach (containing 5% to 6% sodium hypochlorite).
• Mix the calculated amount of bleach into a large 25-liter plastic bucket filled with clear water first. Never pour raw bleach directly on well electrical wiring.

Step 3: Disinfect the System

• Pour the diluted chlorine solution evenly down into the well.
• Connect a garden hose to the nearest outside tap or pump line and run the water directly back into the well for 15 minutes. This rinses down the inside walls and ensures thorough mixing.
• Go to every connected tap in the household or market area and run the water until you smell a strong odor of bleach, then turn them off.

Step 4: Wait, Flush, and Verify

• Let it Sit: Allow the chlorinated water to sit undisturbed in the well and the pipe system for at least 12 to 24 hours to kill all bacteria. Do not use it for drinking, bathing, or washing clothes during this time.
• Flush the Lines: After 24 hours, connect your hose and pump the water out onto an open gravel area or drainage ditch until the water is completely clear and no longer smells like chlorine.
• Boil Until Tested: Continue to boil or treat your drinking water for at least one week until a local District Environmental Health Officer runs a lab test to confirm it is 100% bacteria-free.

Emergency Contacts and What to Do
If you or anyone around you experiences sudden, severe watery diarrhea (resembling rice-water) and intense vomiting, begin giving Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) immediately and seek emergency help.

Use these numbers to contact national emergency services or report public health concerns:

• National Ambulance Service: Dial 193
• General Emergency Coordinator Line: Dial 112
• Ghana Health Service Information: Call 030 398 2351 via the official GHS Reach Us portal

Cholera should have no place in Ghana. It is a disease that thrives on broken systems and temporary lapses in hygiene, but it can be completely defeated when we all take action. True progress requires a dual effort: structural government investment in clean water pipelines and a cultural shift toward flawless personal and community sanitation. By keeping our hands clean, protecting our water, and maintaining our marketplaces during and after the rains, we protect the health of our nation. Let us choose cleanliness, demand dignity, and ensure a safer, healthier Ghana for everyone.

✍️By A Concerned Retired Senior Citizen

For and on behalf of all Senior Citizens of the Republic of Ghana 🇬🇭

Teshie-Nungua
akpaluck@gmail.com

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