KEEA District Health Administration controls cholera outbreak

Elmina Jan. 26, GNA - The number of reported cases of cholera in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) District has reduced drastically, due to intensified public education by the District Health Administration on cholera prevention and management.

The District, had between December last year and the early part of January this year, recorded a total of 95 cases, involving two deaths. Briefing the GNA about efforts by his administration to reduce the epidemic, Dr Yaw Ofori-Yeboah, District Director of Health Services, said his outfit had sought the collaboration of organisations like the environmental unit of the District Assembly, the Ghana National Fire Service and some community leaders to help contain the situation. He said as a result, as at Wednesday, only one person was on admission at the Kissi Health Centre where most of the cases were referred for treatment, with just one case being reported every other day, as against the about 17 cases recorded daily when the epidemic first broke out.

Dr Ofori-Yeboah said 10 communities in the area had been the most endemic, with Ampenyin recording the highest of 69 cases including the two deaths representing 73 per cent of all the cases recorded. Other communities like Ayensudo, Brenu Akyinmu, Bantuma, Chapel Square and Dentildo, recorded cases ranging between one and six, he said.

Dr Ofori-Yeboah, attributed the situation to the lack of potable water in the affected communities and echoed calls on the need for them to improve upon their personal and environmental hygiene since the disease "thrived fast" in unsanitary conditions and urged them to promptly report all cases of diarrhoea to the nearest health centre. For his part, Mr Kwaku Akoptosu, District Coordinating Director expressed concern about the unsanitary conditions in the affected communities and also urged them to take measures to improve the situation He gave the assurance that everything would be done to provide them with potable water.