Greater Accra Region outlines strategies to curb cholera

The Greater Accra Regional Security Council in collaboration with the Regional Health Directorate has outlined basic directives and strategies to help tackle the cholera outbreak which started in Accra, in June.

Briefing the media in Accra, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo said the directives came out after series of meetings between the Regional Security Council, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA’s) and the Regional Health Directorate.

He said the continuous increase in cholera cases in the region, and the attendant deaths are unacceptable and require urgent steps to contain the spread.

He said among other things, poor sanitation has been cited as the major cause of the outbreak.

Nii Afotey Agbo said under the directives MMDA’s would be required to strictly enforce the bye-laws on sanitation and prosecute people and institutions that flout them.

He said the MMDA’s must support the Environmental Health Officers and the Task force to be formed, to perform their duties by providing them with the necessary logistics required to discharge their duties effectively.

“The Health Directorate, the NCCE (National Commission for Civic Education) shall continue with the education campaign on cholera and other communicable diseases on a sustainable basis. To this end we are appealing to our media partners to support the course,” he said.

Nii Agbo said the MMDAs were also expected to provide adequate public places of convenience, organise town hall meetings to educate the people on cholera, Ebola and other communicable diseases and provide final disposal sites for garbage generated in their districts.

“As a short term measure, the MMDA’s must provide mobile toilets at vantage points for use by the public especially in densely populated areas, support the health facilities to establish containment centres to help lessen the burden of over-crowding at these centres, and make dustbins available in every household and ensure they are collected regularly and promptly so that people could dump their waste without difficulty”.

The regional Minister urged Ghana Standards Authority to re-examine sachet water production with the view to withdraw the license of those found unsuitable for consumption.

He also called on Ghana Water Company to repair all damaged or burst pipelines to avoid seepage of faecal matter into the water, and re-examine the present situation where service lines pass through drains.

Nii Agbo noted that “the situation calls for concerted efforts and it is therefore our wish that we all contribute to abate the nuisance in our communities by addressing the environmental challenges and also practice personal hygiene”.

He appealed to the judicial service to cooperate with the MMDA’s in the enforcement of the bye-laws on sanitation.

Dr Linda Vanotto, Regional Health Director, said lots of people infected with cholera live in the slums and market areas, while the number of cases has increased to 6179 with 51 deaths, and a total of 360 cases a day.

She said most affected people are people within the active age group who buy food from outside, adding that 50 per cent of cases are from Accra.

Dr Vanotoo said cholera could be controlled, but needs collective effort by educating each other about it while community education and outreach programmes on hand washing and good personal and environmental sanitation is paramount.

She asked the public to have ORS at home in cases of emergencies and go to the nearest hospital for treatment, advising the public to desist from taking Imodium or bread to solve the situation.

Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuiye, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive said the Assembly is battling with series of sanitation issues with more than 3000 tonnes of refuse generated daily in the city.

He said cholera is no respecter of persons and everyone has an equal and shared responsibility to help tackle the situation.