Cholera outbreak: Central region records 7 deaths, 47 confirmed and 720 suspected cases

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has recorded seven fatalities, 47 confirmed cases and 720 suspected instances of cholera in the Central Region since Thursday, October 31.

The occurrences have been reported in eight of the 22 Districts in the region including Awutu-Senya-East and West, Gomoa East, Mfantseman, Gomoa West, Agona West, Cape Coast and Twifo-Hemang-Lawyer- Denkyira.

While the gender of the deceased remained undisclosed, the fatalities were recorded in Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality, Assin North and South, and Gomoa West districts.

The Acting Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Agnes Achiama Anane disclosed this during a news briefing on the outbreak of cholera in the region on Monday, November 18.

She said the deaths were preventable, as four of the patients arrived late at health facilities in critical condition, while three were already deceased upon arrival.

The current situation has prompted urgent calls for preventive measures to check further transmission, emphasising the necessity for the public to adhere to hygienic protocols that were widely practiced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These measures include frequent hand washing, use of sanitisers, and meticulous handling of food and water, deemed crucial in curtailing the spread of the disease.

Dr Anane underscored the importance of seeking prompt medical attention at healthcare facilities when experiencing symptoms like acute diarrhoea and dehydration to reduce the likelihood of severe illness or fatality from cholera.

“Our primary concern has been the fatalities. The figures, yes, but a considerable number of them were brought in critically ill, signifying delayed care and attention, “she said.

Dr Anane further implored residents to uphold impeccable hygiene standards and prioritise nutritious dietary practices as they remained vigilant in keeping good environmental sanitation to avert the spread of the disease.

She said the clarion call is for a unified and concerted effort from neighbouring areas to effectively work to contain the disease.

Source: GNA

Cholera Outbreak: Ten people dead, over 72 others infected

Ten persons have died with over 72 others infected, following a cholera outbreak in the Greater Accra and Central regions over the past three weeks.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) confirmed that the cases were recorded in Ada East and West, Kpone Katamanso, Korle Klottey, Ashaiman, Ga South, Accra Metro, all in the Greater Accra Region and Awutu Senya West and East, Gomoa East and Efutu Districts in the Central Region.

Four out of the six deaths were recorded in the Awutu Senya district while the remaining six deaths were recorded in Ada and other districts.

Dr Franklin Asiedu -Bokoe, Director for Public Health, GHS, told the Ghana News Agency that most of the infections recorded were not severe but fatalities are being recorded due to the delay to report cases to the health facilities.

“Deaths are occurring, because most of the patients who had cholera tried to self-medicate, some report to the hospital three days after the cholera infection,” he said .

The Director said the lack of clean water in some of the affected districts, the practice of open defecation and poor hand hygiene had contributed to the cholera outbreak.

He urged the public to practice frequent hand washing with soap under running water and the use of hand sanitizers in cases where there was no access to clean to water.

Between 2017 and 2023, Ghana did not record a cholera outbreak although a few indigenous cases were reported.

Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said regular handwashing with soap under running water among the public during the COVID-19 outbreak was an effective measure to the control of infectious diseases.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera remains a global threat to public health and serves as an indicator of inequity and a lack of social development.

Symptoms of cholera include frequent diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration, along with abdominal cramps, fever, headache, fatigue, dry mouth and throat, and decreased urine output.

Medical experts warn that severe cases of the disease can be fatal within hours if left untreated.

Most individuals infected with cholera may not exhibit symptoms, but the bacteria can still be present in their feaces for 1 to 10 days post-infection, potentially contaminating the environment and infecting others.

A minority of patients develop acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration. This can lead to death if left untreated.

Cholera transmission is closely linked to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Typical at-risk areas include peri-urban slums, as well as camps for internally displaced persons.

Early detection and treatment are crucial to preventing complications and reducing mortality.

The Ghana Health Service has advised the public to drink safe treated water, eat well cooked or properly handled food, avoid close contact with infected individuals, practice good hygiene; wash hands with soap under running water, ensure a proper disposal of faeces and report to the nearest health facility if experiencing profuse diarrhoea and vomiting.

Source: GNA

Nine cholera cases recorded in Greater Accra

Ghana has recorded nine cholera cases in the Ada West and East districts of the Greater Accra Region, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced.

A statement issued by the Service in Accra on Monday said the first case was confirmed on October 4, 2024 in the Ada West District.

It indicated that the infected individual sought treatment at a health facility with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain a few days after attending a funeral in Ada East and also noted that a cholera case was subsequently confirmed in the Ada East District.

In response, the GHS has activated Public Health Emergency Management Committees (PHEMCs) at all levels to address the situation.

These include a joint multi-sectoral Public Health Emergency Rapid Response Team (PHERRT) comprising members from national, regional, and district levels, as well as representatives from the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Ghana Education Service (GES), the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and Environmental Health Units from the two affected districts.

According to the GHS, an ongoing outbreak investigation and environmental assessment are being conducted, with alerts sent to all health facilities across the country.

It noted that healthcare workers in the affected areas have been sensitised to cholera case definitions, sample management, and case management adding that a daily active community case search was being carried out, and strict infection prevention and control practices have been enforced in all health facilities.

The Ghana Health Service has advised the public to drink safe treated water, eat well cooked or properly handled food, avoid close contact with infected individuals, practice good hygiene; wash hands with soap under running water, ensure a proper disposal of faces and report to the nearest health facility if experiencing profuse diarrhoea and vomiting.

Ghana Health Service ready to contain Mpox outbreak

Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has assured the public of the country’s preparedness to contain any potential Mpox outbreak.

In response to a question about Ghana’s readiness in an Eyewitness News interview on Citi FM on Thursday, Dr Asiedu-Bekoe highlighted several key measures that have been put in place to ensure effective surveillance and response.

“So I think that what is good for Ghana is the sensitivity of our surveillance system,” Asiedu-Bekoe stated. “What we have done is that we have set case definitions – what will make people look for suspect cases, so that is the first step.”

He emphasised that Ghana is well-equipped to confirm Mpox cases, a capability that only 30% of African countries possess.

“We have the capacity to confirm. In Africa, it is only 30% who have the ability to confirm, and yet in Ghana, we have two labs – we have Noguchi, we have our reference lab. So these are big pluses for us.”

Asiedu-Bekoe also noted the availability of treatment facilities, particularly for severe cases, which are a legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If they have a severe case, we have treatment centres which I will say are legacies from COVID. So these are pluses.”

However, he acknowledged the need for ongoing efforts to enhance preparedness.

“We need to now do more training. We also need to make sure that the health workers have enough PPEs so that they don’t get themselves infected, and then we also try to make sure that we create the necessary awareness.”

Source: citinewsroom.com

Korle Bu resumes renal dialysis services after three-week closure

Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has reopened its outpatient renal dialysis unit after addressing the shortage of essential consumables that forced the unit to close for three weeks.

The hospital management in a statement issued on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, announced that all consumables stuck at the Tema port will be cleared by the end of the week, allowing the unit to resume operations.

Renal patients had threatened to picket at the Renal Unit on Wednesday, August 21, in protest over the shortage, which had deprived them of vital medical care.

However, with the prompt delivery of the consumables, the hospital has scheduled dialysis sessions to begin effective Wednesday, August 21.

The statement added, “Apart from this emergency consignment, the Ministry of Finance has granted a tax waiver to expedite the clearance of the second container at the Tema port. We anticipate receiving these additional supplies within the week, further strengthening the availability of the essential consumables for our services.”

The hospital expressed gratitude to the Ministries of Health and Finance, as well as other stakeholders, for their support in ensuring the timely availability of consumables.

The hospital also appreciated the patience and cooperation of its renal patients during the period.

Dialysis centre to begin full operations next week – Korle Bu

The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has announced that it has secured a significant quantity of essential consumables for dialysis which is currently being processed for delivery from the Tema Port.

In a statement, the management of the Hospital said the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Supply Company are providing support to expedite the clearance on an emergency basis to ensure that the hospital continues to deliver top-notch care to patients.

This follows the closure of the renal unit of the hospital almost two weeks ago without any official explanation.

The President of the Kidney Patients Association, Baffour Ahenkorah, confirmed that three patients had died due to the closure of the unit.

The Health Committee of Parliament has strongly condemned the sudden closure of the Renal Unit at the KBTH.

But management of KBTH in the statement noted that “we anticipate that the outpatient section of our Dialysis Centre will return to full operations early next week. While we had initially hoped to have these supplies cleared from the port two weeks ago, procedural lapses and documentation on the part of the shipping line, unfortunately, caused a delay in the clearance.”

“During this period, we temporarily shifted dialysis operations and had some of the patients dialysed at the National Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle in Teaching Hospital to minimise disruption and [not] inconvenience patients. We are working diligently to resolve the clearance process over the weekend, and we are optimistic that normal services will resumé promptly,” it stated.

The KBTH management apologised to patients and clients for the inconvenience caused and thanked them for their restraint and understanding.

“To prevent future shortages, and improve our service delivery and cost efficiency, the Minister of Health, Hon Dr Bernard Okoe Roye, has procured 30 additional dialyses machines with a year’s supply of consumables, for Korle Bu.

“The specifications of the new machines will allow us to access their essential consumables from the open market at competitive prices,” it added.

Avoid mosquito bites to prevent dengue fever—Dr Gbene

Dr Simon Gbene, the Wesstern Regional Director of Veterinary Services has advised the public to avoid mosquito bites and wear protective clothing to prevent Dengue fever.

He said the disease was real and common in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world and was mostly spread to people through the bites of aedes aegypti infected female mosquitoes.

Dr Gbene who made the call in an interview with the media in Takoradi, explained that though Dengue fever had similar symptoms to malaria, which is caused by a parasite, Dengue fever was caused by a virus.

He educated that there were four serotypes of the dengue virus and that three DEN-1 DENV-2, DENV-3 have been identified in the African region, adding that Burkina Faso had recorded high cases of the disease.

Dr Gbene said for now there was no vaccine available for dengue fever, and no medications exist to treat dengue infection, adding “this makes prevention the most important step and prevention means avoiding mosquito bites, by using insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and eliminating the containers that hold water and give aquatic stages of mosquitoes a place to develop”

He mentioned server headache with pain behind the eyes, high fever, body aches-muscle, bone and join pains, nausea, and or vomiting and rash as well as mild bleeding from the nose or gums as the symptoms of the disease, which could only be managed with pain killers preferably paracetamol.

He said the western region has not recorded any cases of the disease yet, and, therefore, urged the public to put in place preventive measures to stop the disease from entering the region.

Dr Gbene said the mosquito that caused dengue fever, bites both day and night and advised people to endeavour to wear protective clothes, sleep under treated mosquito nets, rest, drink plenty of fluids and adhered to the advice of health professionals.

He also advised that the people to visit the hospital if they sight any of the symptoms for early diagnosis and management since there was not known drug to cure the disease.

Dr Yaw Ofori Yeboah, Regional Director of Health service said though the region has not recorded any case of the disease, his outfit has intensified surveillance in the region and asked the public to avoid mosquito bites.

Source: GNA

President Akufo-Addo Commissions Fomena and Kumawu Hospitals

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, commissioned the Fomena and Kumawu Hospitals, both in the Ashanti Region, at separate colourful ceremonies attended by traditional leaders and the public.

The 120-bed state-of-the-art facilities constructed by NMS Infrastructure Limited come with maternity and pediatric wards, consulting and treatment rooms, theatres and recovery rooms, public health department, accident and emergency, laundry, and mortuary among others.

They are equipped with modern equipment and specialised departments designed to provide comprehensive primary healthcare and a wide range of services for people in the two districts and beyond.

President Akufo-Addo reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to completing critical projects regardless of which administration initiated them to enhance the quality of life for Ghanaians through superior healthcare services.

The completion of the Fomena Hospital, he said, was a testimony to his government’s dedication to providing state-of-the-art health facilities in line with current healthcare standards across the nation.

He said the two projects formed part of a broader agenda to complete numerous healthcare projects, saying that upcoming hospitals set for commissioning included five hospitals in Elubo, Mpohor, Bogoso, Nsuaem, and Wassa Akropong as well as a public health facility at Akontonbra and the Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua.

“By the end of 2024, we will also complete several significant projects including the urology and nephrology Centre of excellence at the Korlebu Teaching Hospital,” the President stated.

He also spoke about the construction of 11 district hospitals and one polyclinic in the Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra and Ahafo Regions and various treatment and holding centres being under construction.

“These efforts align with our commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage, and guarantee improved and more efficient health services for all Ghanaians,” he noted.

According to the President, the government’s determination to improve the healthcare delivery system in the country is evident in the Agenda 111 initiative which is providing 111 standard 100-bed district hospitals and accommodation for doctors and nurses.

He assured Ghanaians that the trust placed in his government would not be in vain, adding that, the government had made substantial investments in the health sector to complete as many infrastructural projects as possible for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

He said the government was committed to expanding primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities nationwide, stressing that the Fomena hospital exemplified responsible use of taxpayers’ money.

Mr Bernard Okoe Boye, the Minister for Health, said the two projects experienced some headwinds between 2012 and 2015, but under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, the projects were completed with the provision of the needed resources.

He enumerated many healthcare projects at various stages of completion across the country which the President had shown commitment to seeing their completion for the benefit of Ghanaians.

He said under the leadership and directions of the President, all the facilities under the NMS project were at an average of 20 per cent completion by January 2017 when he was sworn in, but he did not abandon them and worked hard to complete them.

About 2,000 beds would have been added to health facilities in the Ashanti Region by the time the President hands over in January 2025, according to the Health Minister.

Ga Mantse cautions sanitation violators

The Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has cautioned those who flout sanitation regulations to refrain from the practice.

The king gave the caution during an inspection tour of the central business district (CBD) of Accra, where he commended participants of the Homowo clean-up exercise held last Saturday.

“We will ensure that this exercise goes beyond the Homowo celebrations, and become a regular feature in Accra, he said.

The Ga Mantse stressed his commitment to sustained cleanliness, and warned that a special taskforce would begin patrolling Accra immediately to enforce sanitation by-laws.

He reiterated that violators would face prosecution in sanitation courts as a deterrence.

He called for concerted effort by local authorities and private entities to uphold cleanliness standards in Accra, aiming for a sustainable solution to sanitation challenges beyond seasonal events like Homowo.

He particularly urged residents and businesses to comply with sanitation regulations to keep the city clean and disease-free.

For her part, Madam Emma Adwoa Appiaa Osei-Duah, Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs at Zoomlion, stressed the importance of public participation in maintaining cleanliness.

She highlighted the health risks associated with unsanitary conditions, urging traders, hawkers and shop owners to actively support sanitation efforts for their own well-being and that of their customers.

The clean-up exercise, organised as part of the Homowo festivities, saw collaboration between the Ga Mantse, various government agencies, and Zoomlion Ghana Limited. The initiative aims to maintain cleanliness beyond the festive period, ensuring that Accra remains clean and healthy for its residents and visitors.

Accompanied by senior officials from the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council and the Asafoatsemei of the Ga State, the Ga Mantse visited key locations such as Rawlings Park, CMB, Makolaand Tudu. These visits were aimed at assessing the impact and progress of the sanitation efforts.

The clean-up operation itself, led by a dedicated team comprising Asafoatsemei, Asafoanymei, and environmental sanitation officers, was supported by Zoomlion Ghana Limited. The company provided essential resources, including garbage trucks, personneland equipment, to ensure the thorough cleaning of streets and public spaces.

More women contract HIV in Volta Region – Letsa

Out of the 16,016 people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Volta Region, 65.52 per cent are women, while young people (15–24), accounted for 27.5 per cent of new infections last year.

The figure includes 230 adult males, 468 adult females, 214 young people, and 80 children in the 0–14 age group.

The Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) Technical Support Unit in the Volta Region, Mary Naa Asheley Anyomi, who disclosed this at the 2024 second quarter coordination meeting of the commission in Ho last Thursday, said 57.1 per cent of PLHIV in the region were receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART).

Mrs Anyomi said Central Tongu and North Tongu districts, and Ketu North and Ketu South municipalities contributed 42.03 per cent of the total number of infections.

Also, nine areas, including Kpando, Ho, Ketu North, South Dayi, Central Tongu, North Dayi, Keta, Ho West and North Tongu had prevalence higher that the regional rate of 1.35 per cent, she added.

The technical coordinator said nine out of the 18 districts and municipalities had less than 49 per cent of ART coverage, while the target was 95 per cent.

“In addition, only three districts had the highest ART coverage of more than 70 per cent, but less than 80 per cent,” she said.

Touching on the way forward, Mrs Anyomi said there was the need to continue utilising the mass media, including community information centres, to disseminate accurate information on HIV prevention, transmission and treatment.

She said it was also important to make use of health clubs at basic, senior high and tertiary institutions for that purpose.

The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, advised members of the public to eschew reckless sexual conducts, saying HIV was real.

He entreated all and sundry to avoid binge drinking and narcotics abuse which could make them lose their guard and indulge in indiscriminate and unsafe sex.

The minister said it was everyone’s responsibility to stand firm and help address the HIV situation by living responsible lifestyles.

Source: graphic.com