The Oti Regional Minister, John Kwadwo Gyapong, has expressed worry over the alarming rise in typhoid fever cases in the region, describing the situation as a public health emergency.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, he disclosed that in 2024 alone, 47,172 typhoid fever cases were confirmed in the region, compared to 34,906 cases in 2023, 2,271 in 2022, and 19,983 in 2021.

According to him, more than 22,000 new cases have already been recorded in just the first and second quarters of 2025, signaling a worsening trend.

Gyapong attributed the surge largely to untreated water and poor sanitation practices in the region.

Surge in typhoid fever cases sparks urgent health alerts in Oti Region

He explained that the lack of pipe-borne water and heavy reliance on unsafe water sources remain the biggest risk factors, particularly in major market areas where the disease has been most prevalent.

“We don’t have treated potable drinking water in this entire Oti Region, and this makes the burden even heavier,” he lamented.

The minister disclosed that a taskforce has been set up in each district to strictly enforce sanitation regulations and ensure access to safer water options.

He stressed the need for urgent interventions to prevent the situation from escalating further, calling on development partners, health authorities, and the private sector to support them in tackling the crisis.

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MRA/VPO

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