Help govt’s efforts on proper sanitation Regional Minister

Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo 1

Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo 1



Volta Regional Minister
Accra, Aug.19, GNA – Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, Greater Accra Regional Minister, has urged the public to complement the government’s effort at providing quality health services by maintaining environmental and personal cleanliness.

He said cholera was mostly about observing personal hygiene, and it was important to look at the diverse angles of the outbreak to know its causes and know how best to bring the situation under control.

Nii Agbo was speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on the current outbreak of cholera in the Greater Accra Region.

The meeting was to ascertain the level of the outbreak and to deliberate on the exact solutions to tackle the situation.

Nii Agbo urged all stakeholders, especially the public, to be involved in battling the cholera outbreak since monies that would be utilised for productive activities would be diverted for controlling the outbreak if the situation did not improve soon.

Dr Linda Van Otoo, Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Service, said cholera is a severe watery diarrhoeral disease, associated with vomiting, extreme dehydration and kidney failure. It can spread easily with about 80 per cent of infected people not developing any symptoms.

It is cause by the bacterium Vibrio cholera.
She said the disease is contracted by eating foods and water that have contaminated faecal matter in them. One can also contract through poor personal and environmental hygiene, contaminated clothes and unsafe water and insanitation facilities.

She said currently the region had recorded 4,500 cases of cholera with 45 deaths; as compared to 6,882 cases in 2012; and 22 cases in 2013. The Accra Metro has the highest number of cases.

Dr Van Otoo, however, noted that the disease could be controlled with collective efforts, which must be inter-sectorial.

Communities must play key roles by maintaining safe water and sanitation, organising community outreach and awareness campaigns on personal hygiene, especially hand washing, she said.

She noted that the most affected people are men within the ages of 20 and 35 and urged patients who get infected through whatever means to seek early medical treatment to be able to survive it.

GNA

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