Ghana is grappling with a cholera outbreak, raising urgent concern among health officials and communities across the nation.

So far, the outbreak has claimed 16 lives, with 116 confirmed cases reported in four regions: Greater Accra, Eastern, Central, and Western.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is urging the public to resume COVID-19 hygiene practices to help curb the spread of the disease.

Dr. Dennis Laryea, Deputy Director of Disease Surveillance at the GHS, stressed that early medical intervention can prevent fatalities, noting that some patients delayed seeking care, resulting in avoidable deaths.

“Our concerns have had to do with the death. The numbers yes but quite a number of them were brought in dead, which means they were delayed in seeking care. About seven or eight of them were brought in dead.

“The majority of the others spent less than 12 to 24 hours on admission. That meant that we had little time to make a difference. Their kidneys may have stopped functioning due to dehydration. We have seen some changes in some of the districts. Once you start developing symptoms; vomiting, watery diarrhoea, get to the health facility,” he stated.

Channel One News reported from Osu in the Korley Klottey Municipality, an area affected by the outbreak, where residents voiced concerns over sanitation challenges.

“One critical issue affecting this community is the inconsistent supply of tap water, which has significantly worsened our sanitation problems. We are appealing to the relevant authorities to ensure a steady flow of water to this area to help reduce the spread of cholera,” a resident lamented.

“We don’t have consistent water supply for domestic use, even for basic needs like cleaning our toilets. Additionally, the refuse dumb area is in a deplorable condition, which could breed cholera, especially since children play around and food is exposed to flies. We are appealing to the authorities to address the water supply and improve the sanitation conditions”, another resident appealed.

“The Osu Beach has become a breeding place for mosquitoes. The authorities are doing nothing about it. We are urging the authorities to save the situation,” stated another resident.

“The factors that will drive the outbreak haven’t left us. The personal hygiene and the food handling situation are still there. If people don’t wash their hands with soap and water before eating, wash their fruit and vegetables well with clean water because if the water is dirty, it can result in cholera infection. The bacteria is in the environment so once we are not handling our waste appropriately, then the risk of the disease spreading is high,” Dr. Laryea reiterated.