body-container-line-1
24.04.2012 Health

Cholera Death Toll Rises

By Daily Guide
Alban Sumana Kingsford BagbinAlban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin
24.04.2012 LISTEN

THE DEATH toll from the cholera outbreak in Accra and its environs is now over 30 and the number is still rising.

Sources at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) say over 30 people have died from the latest outbreak which is becoming a perennial problem.

Media reports on Friday put the figures at 25 and it was expected the figures would rise tremendously especially when anticipated field reports from the Eastern region arrive.

Two separate teams of health officials left Accra for the various regions to examine the severity of the outbreak and to assess their readiness to fight the disease, according to reports monitored on Radio XYZ .

Public Health Director of the GHS, Dr. Kwesi Amankwah told XYZ News that for the past 16 weeks, 1773 people have been infected mainly in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions.

He said various steps are being taken to quell the spread of the disease.

'We are trying to work with the Information Services Department so that announcements can be made using the information vans… We are also working with the various assemblies to ensure that issues of sanitation are addressed. Liquid waste disposal is very important.'

Meanwhile, Dr John B. K. Yabani, Accra Metropolitan Director of Health Services has attributed the annual upsurge of cholera to the fact that Ghana has compromised on quality standards in all spheres.

He explained that 'in this modern era with Ghana being a middle income country and discovering oil, it is sad and repulsive that we report cholera cases every year with people dying of it.'

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, after a half-day briefing session for resource persons on the cholera update and public education, Dr Yabani noted many Ghanaians had compromised on keeping a clean environment thereby poorly handling liquid waste and preparing food for public consumption under insanitary conditions.

The resource persons were selected from the various health metropolitan offices as well as other stakeholders in the metropolis.

Dr Yabani said the country had enough bye-laws but implementation of these laws was a major challenge and called on the public not to politicize issues of sanitation but allow the appropriate institutions to enforce them.

'District Assemblies also need to be well resourced to play their role effectively because this whole issue of sanitation needs to be approached inter sectorally to involve all the other key institutions or sectors.'

He urged the media to continue with its public education on frequent hand washing with soap and safe water, using latrines and not defecating in the open, cooking food thoroughly and drinking of safe water by boiling or chlorinating.

 

body-container-line