By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Totimekorpe-Ada, Oct. 17, GNA – Madam Sarah Dugbaki Pobee, Ada East District Chief Executive (DCE), has expressed concern over the increased risk of the spread of cholera in the district, particularly in coastal areas where open defecation is rife.
The DCE urged residents to adopt proper sanitation practices, emphasising that “open defecation along the coastline not only endangers individual health but also compromises the entire community’s well-being.”
She said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Ada and advised residents to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of cholera.
She called on assembly members and traditional leaders to intensify efforts to promote hygiene and ensure the availability of public toilets and sanitation facilities to curb the spread of the disease.
Her call came in the wake of an outbreak of cholera in the Ada West and Ada East districts of the Greater Accra Region, with nine cases reported as of October 11, 2024.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in a press release confirmed the cases and disclosed that it has activated Public Health Emergency Management Committees (PHEMCs) at national, regional, and district levels to tackle the outbreak.
According to the statement, the first case was reported on October 4, 2024, after a person attended a funeral in Ada East and presented with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain, with subsequent cases confirmed in both Ada West and Ada East districts.
To combat the outbreak, the GHS said it has “activated a joint multi-sectoral Public Health Emergency Rapid Response Team (PHERRT), conducted ongoing outbreak investigation and environmental assessment, sent alerts to all health facilities nationwide, identified and traced contacts, sensitised healthcare workers on case management and infection control, and established a cholera oral rehydration centre for mild cases.”
The Ghana Health Service also noted that it is working closely with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Ghana Education Service (GES), National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and Environmental Health Units to contain the outbreak.
Some residents in an interview with GNA expressed mixed reactions toward the outbreak of cholera in the district.
While some blamed the Environmental Health Department for poor sanitation law enforcement, others also accused residents of poor sanitation practices.
Mr. Amanatey Kwabie, a resident, disclosed that some residents ease themselves into black plastic bags and dump it into the gutters, contributing to the cause of the cholera outbreak in the area.
GNA