Suspected cholera cases in the Central Region have reached 3,028 with 290 of them confirmed and 19 deaths.
Dr Mrs Agnes Achiamaa Anane, the Acting Regional Director of Health Service who announced this on Wednesday said four health workers are among the patients with confirmed infections, as of Tuesday, March 18.
She, however, explained that some of the casualties had some comorbidities which aggravated their condition and resulted in their demise.
She was speaking at the 2024 Central Regional annual performance review meeting in Cape Coast where the region’s health system was appraised by health officials from the Eastern Regional Health Directorate with a high score.
She observed that cholera remained a major public health concern in the region, with the recent outbreak exposing gaps in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions.
“In response, we are intensifying cholera prevention efforts, conducting mass awareness campaigns, and strengthening surveillance, and early response mechanisms to contain and prevent future outbreaks,” she said.
She asked citizens to practice proper sanitation and stop open defecation.
She noted that mortality in general in the region increased by 14 per cent with maternal mortality jumping from 71 per 100,000 Live births in 2023 to 82 per 100,000 live births in 2024.
In spite of that, the region saw a general improvement in its health situation, recording positive outcomes in stillbirth rate, Measles-Rubella coverage, incidence of malaria, mother-to-child HIV transmission and many other areas.
Mr Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, the Central Regional Minister, denounced the poor sanitation situation in some streets and communities in the region, a situation he said made the people susceptible to infectious diseases and put a burden on the health system.
He stressed the need for citizens to keep their environments clean in a bid to combat the outbreak.
He applauded the Regional Health Directorate and health workers in the region for their dedicated services and pledged to support them in every means possible to deliver their work effectively.
He reiterated government’s commitment to strengthening the health system with a raft of measures outlined in the budget to advance national healthcare delivery.
GNA
