Cholera at Tema - two deaths recorded

There is an outbreak of cholera at Tema and its environs and 42 cases have been reported within the past one month with two deaths.

Dr Deborah Cubagee, Tema Municipal Director of Health Services, told the Ghana News Agency that areas most affected were Ashaiman, Tema Manhean, Teshie, Nungua, Sakomono and Tema Community Two.

She attributed the outbreak to filthy surroundings and impressed on the public to observe personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness "because contracting cholera means one has either eaten or drunk human excreta".

Dr Cubagee appealed to cooked food sellers in particular to ensure strict personal hygiene by covering the food soon after serving a customer while the public should eat their food while it was warm and constantly wash their hands after any activity.

She said vans with public address systems had started educating the public about the outbreak while public health nurses were also undertaking house to house visitation to spread the message.

She appealed to garbage collectors to collect on the stipulated days to prevent the spread of the epidemic and urged the communities to embark on periodic cleaning exercises.

The last time a cholera outbreak was reported in Tema and its environs was in 1986/87.