Kumasi records 21 cholera deaths in year 2005

Kumasi, Feb 11, GNA - The Kumasi Metropolitan Health Directorate recorded 1,621 cases of cholera last year with 21 deaths as against zero in 2004.

Cholera, which topped the list of the 10 most prevalent diseases, was followed by measles, which had 231 cases in 2005 as against 83 in 2004, but no deaths were recorded.

Dr Joseph Oduro, Kumasi Metropolitan Health Director who revealed this at the annual performance review meeting held in Kumasi, said malaria cases also increased steeply last year with records of 454,333 as against 129,223 the previous year.

He attributed the sudden upsurge of cholera with its attendant mortality rate and the rising incidence of malaria to the ever-worsening insanitary environmental conditions in the metropolis. While tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS increased by 503 and 849 last year as against 684 and 506 respectively in 2004, there was a comparatively low record of non-communicable diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes which was an indication that people were watching their lifestyles.

Dr Oduro said there were 330 cases of hypertension cases out of which 129 were males, whereas in the case of diabetes only 11 cases were recorded last year and three women were recorded to have been obese. He therefore called on the general public to continue watching their diets by eating more fibre, less fat and alcohol to keep the incidence of diabetes and hypertension down.