116 cholera cases reported across 17 districts in the country - Ghana Health Service

A total of 116 confirmed cholera cases have been reported across 17 districts in four regions, with the Central Region accounting for the majority of infections.

From 1,600 suspected cases, 85 individuals are currently receiving treatment, and 16 fatalities have been recorded, according to a report by 3news.com.

The report noted that the Deputy Director of Public Health in charge of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Denis Laryea, emphasised the need for cases to be reported early to the health facilities while encouraging proper hygiene practices among the populace.

He stressed the need for patients to seek prompt medical intervention to improve health outcomes.

"It hasn't gone beyond the four regions so far. So Greater Accra, Eastern, Western and Central regions. There've been 16 deaths, unfortunately, and we've had over 1600 suspected cases.

"So suspected cases being people who come to the health facility with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea and maybe dehydration, but the main things, the main symptoms, being diarrhoea and vomiting.

"We have 17 districts in four regions. Now, that is not to say that these are the only places where cholera may be. Now, if people come in with those symptoms, and they come in early, then there are opportunities to be able to manage them all because what we basically do are two things: replace the fluids that they've lost and then also give antibiotics to deal with germ or the organism that is causing cholera.

Now, if you don't report early and they come in severely dehydrated, first of all, we might struggle to get a vein to give infusion, depending on how severe dehydration is.

"But beyond that, our body is composed primarily of water. So, once you are losing fluids, you're basically damaging various organs. And so, people can get kidney failure, for example, from severe dehydration. And that would mean, for example, that they will need dialysis. And we know better dialysis and its availability. And so, if it's already available, then you can basically result in some very negative effects," he explained.

He urged the public to maintain proper hygiene practices to prevent infection, assuring them that authorities have intensified surveillance efforts to contain the spread of the disease.

JKB

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