17 districts in 4 regions have so far recorded cases of cholera with the Central Region recording the majority of the cases.
In total, 116 cholera cases have been confirmed from 1600 suspected cases. 85 persons are currently on admission while 16 fatalities have been recorded.
Deputy Director of Public Health in charge of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Denis Laryea reiterated the need for cases to be reported early to the health facilities while encouraging proper hygiene practices among the populace.
He spoke exclusively with 3news on November 14.
Since the declaration of the cholera outbreak in the Ada East and West districts of the Greater Accra Region in October, the disease has spread to the Eastern, Western and the Central regions.
According to Dr. Dennis Laryea, when patients report early, then there’s opportunity to be able to manage them all.
“It hasn’t gone beyond the four regions so far. So Greater Accra, Eastern, Western and Central regions. There’ve been 116 deaths, unfortunately, and we’ve had over 1600 suspected cases. So suspected cases being people who come to the health facility with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and maybe dehydration, but the main things, the main symptoms, mean diarrhea and vomiting. We have 17 districts in four regions. Now that is not to say that these are the only places where cholera may be. Now, if people come in with those symptoms, and they come in early, then there’s opportunities to be able to manage them all, because what we basically do are two things, replace the fluids that they’ve lost, and then also give antibiotics to deal with germ or the organism that is causing the cholera.
Now, if you don’t report early and they come in severely dehydrated, first of all, we might struggle to get a vein to give infusion, depending on how severe dehydration is. But beyond that, our body is composed primary of water. So, once you are losing fluids, you’re basically damaging various organs. And so people can get kidney failure, for example, from severe dehydration. And that would mean, for example, that they will need dialysis. And we know better dialysis and its availability. And so if it’s already available, then you can basically result in some very negative effects.” He explained
He entreated the general public to observe hygiene to prevent themselves from getting infected, assuring of a heightened surveillance by the authorities to contain the spread.
“People must know how they can prevent themselves from getting cholera. And so hand washing is a very basic thing to do, but it prevents a lot of diseases. And those things must not go because an outbreak is home. And so the points I highlighted earlier about hand washing, about making sure that food you eat is safe, hot food, if it’s cooked and if it’s raw food, it is well washed with clean water.
And these are the things we are still communicating to the general public, and so that everybody will be mindful of these practices and ensure that they protect themselves. And as I mentioned, if you report any, then the likelihood of a better outcome is much, much higher. So it’s important that people report to our health facilities, diarrhea, vomiting etc.
Nobody should stay at home, go to a health facility. The other thing about going to the health facility early is that once you go because we the health workers know the risk associated with the vomiting and the stools from somebody with cholera, we take a lot of precautions when we are handling them, and so that reduces the risk of people getting infected. Now, if this happens in the community, in a home, if somebody say it’s a shared toilet facility, then spread will be high. “He further explained.
Many households without proper WASH facilities risk infection of the disease. The Ada East and West districts remain steadfast in using the traditional authorities to mitigate spread by regulating funeral activities since the onset of the disease.
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A cholera anywhere is a cholera everywhere – Ghana Health Service cautions
