Ghana Health Service issues cholera alert

The Ghana Health Services (GHS) has reminded all Regional Directors of Health Services across the country of the likelihood of cholera outbreaks as the rains set in in May and June.

The GHS, in a letter to the directors, said the degree of flooding whenever it rains, coupled with the risk factors for cholera, increase the likelihood of the recurrence of the outbreak of the disease, hence the need for prevention and preparedness for response.

This, according to the GHS, is premised on the fact that cities and communities have poor sanitation, inadequate supply of safe water, poor food and personal hygiene practices as well as intense population movements to and from the metropolis.

GHS has, therefore, asked all regional directors to intensify diarrhoea surveillance and make extra efforts to identify the etiologic agent responsible through laboratory investigations.

The regional directors have also been tasked to update their emergency preparedness and response plans on cholera and other diarrhoeal cases and to also mount public education on the prevention of cholera and diarrhoeal diseases.

In 2014, all 10 regions confirmed cholera outbreaks, with 130 districts being affected. In 2016, a few cases were recorded while the first quarter of 2017 saw Ashanti, Greater Accra, and Cape Coast metropolis being hit.