Ghana recorded 9,542 cholera cases with 100 deaths

The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Akwasi Oppong-Ofosu says Ghana recorded a total of 9,542 cholera cases with 100 deaths in the year 2012 due to improper waste management. He was speaking at the launch of the Environmental Sanitation Campaign using the Ghana Student Industrial Attachment Programme under the theme ‘Improved Sanitation: the role of the Students, Media and Stakeholders”. According to the minister, several districts in eight regions including the Greater Accra, Eastern, Brong Ahafo, Western, Volta, Ashanti, Northern and the Uppers East Regions were affected due to bad sanitation. Mr. Oppong-Ofosu says further reports then indicated that most of the affected districts have had regular re-occurring cholera outbreaks due to factors such as poor supplies of potable water, poor household and environmental sanitation and floods leading to contamination of water sources with the associated poor hygiene practices by the population.

He said cholera has become endemic in many parts of the country especially due to lack of basic sanitary practices and lack of public awareness among the populace. The Minister said his Ministry and the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are doing their outmost best to solve the sanitation problems but the poor attitude of the people towards the environment is seriously militating against all their efforts. continued