Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo
FIVE PERSONS are reported dead in Atebubu in the Brong Ahafo region following the fresh outbreak of cholera in the area.
So far, 97 cases have been reported in the epidemic leaving five dead within nine days, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Public Health Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang, has told DAILY GUIDE.
The latest figures will likely cause the national figures which stood at 64 deaths and over 4,000 cases as at last month to shoot up.
The Accra metropolis is said to be leading with 2,756 cases and 31deaths.
According to Dr Tinkorang, Atebubu recorded 14 cases in the first week of the outbreak with one death.
He described the situation as very alarming due to the high rate of fatalities.
He explained that in a normal cholera outbreak situation, one death is usually recorded in every one hundred cases.
However, he noted, the Atebubu case was a very serious one because it had so far claimed five lives even though less than one hundred cases have been reported.
The deputy director disclosed that a test conducted by his team after blood samples were taken from the victims revealed the outbreak is ‘Cholera Ogawa,’ one of the sub-types of cholera.
He said what had aggravated the situation is that the Atebubu township has no access to tap water and most of the people drink from hand-dug wells and dams which have been contaminated. He further stated that most of the victims report late to health facilities to access medical treatment, resulting in the high fatalities.
Most of the early reported cases, he said, came from the Zongo community.
Dr Tinkorang said the Atebubu District Hospital had allocated a separate ward for victims just to separate them from other patients to ensure the epidemic did not further escalate.
He announced that his team in collaboration with the district assembly had rolled out several interventions to contain the outbreak.
This he said include a total ban on all social activities such as funerals and other public gatherings where spreading of the epidemic is very high.
Other interventions put in place include community education and social mobilization programs to inform residents about the   outbreak.
After touring the area on Wednesday to visit their source of water and conduct other studies, Dr Tinkorang said the Ghana Health Service provided the people with infusions and drugs to contain the outbreak.
He however noted the trend was rather increasing because the Atebubu community has problems with environmental sanitation and getting good drinking water.
 FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani
