[ 2016-11-14 ]

Central Region records 268 cholera cases
Reported cases of cholera in the Central Region
had hit 268 as of last Wednesday evening. No death
had been recorded.
This was made known by the Central Regional
Director of Health Services, Dr Samuel Kwashie.

He said the cases were from the Cape Coast
metropolis predominantly, particularly from the
Abura and Pedu suburbs.

At a meeting with the Central Regional
Coordinating Council to give a brief on the state
of the outbreak last Thursday, Dr Kwashie said the
health authorities and partners had intensified
education on the disease in churches, schools,
mosques and at funeral grounds, in an effort to
contain its spread.

He commended health authorities in the region and
some partners for the absence of fatalities since
the outbreak of the disease.

The Central Region is the only region to have
recorded an outbreak of cholera this year.

Break down of cases

Out of the reported cases, 261 are from the Cape
Coast metropolis, while five are from the Abura
Asebu-Kwamankese District. The Asikuma Odoben
Brakwa District and Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem
Municipality have reported one case each.

Dr Kwashie, however, intimated that almost all the
cases reported outside of Cape Coast were linked
to the metropolis in a way. “Victims in almost
all of the cases reported outside of Cape Coast
passed through the metropolis and might have taken
in food or something in the area,” he said.

He urged residents in the region to be mindful of
what they bought and ate.

Management of Outbreak

Dr Kwashie said six committees had been
established to contain the situation. The
committees, he said, included that on logistics,
water, sanitation and hygiene, surveillance, case
management communication and coordination.

He commended the Ministry of Health, the Regional
Coordinating Council and all the partners in
health for their support.

Statistics Since 2011

Last year, 18 cases of cholera were reported in
the region. The region had 3,846 cases of the
disease during a national outbreak in 2014, with
60 deaths. It was the worse outbreak in a decade.
There were no cases of the disease in 2013.
However, in 2012, there were 108 cases with 12
deaths and 588 cases in 2011 with 11 deaths.

Meningitis

Dr Kwashie said the Central Region had not
recorded any cases of meningitis this year.

He said the government was increasingly making
health services accessible to all, adding that
there were currently 235 Community-based Health
Planning and services (CHPS) compounds in the
region.

The Central Regional Minister, Mr Kweku Ricketts
Hagan, said the region was relatively peaceful and
commended the security agencies and traditional
authorities for their role in maintaining peace in
the region.

Source - Graphiconline

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