Minister Cautions Fishermen Against Cholera Outbreak

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, has cautioned fishermen in Accra to be very cautious against the current outbreak of cholera and the Ebola disease. He said the cholera outbreak has become a serious issue in the capital and it is the collective responsibility of all, especially people along the coast, since the outbreak has spread very fast along these areas to control its spread. Nii Agbo said this at a meeting with fisher folks in the Greater Accra Region to sensitize them on the cholera outbreak and Ebola and to deliberate on how best to tackle sanitation issues within their environs. He said the current sanitation situation in the city has become an issue of national concern, saying indiscipline among our people has become the cause of our predicament. He noted that although measures are being put in place to tackle the situation the government needed the collaboration of every individual towards changing the mentality and attitude towards sanitation. The Minister urged them to be cautious about the kinds of food they eat and adopt the use of hand sanitizers regularly in their daily activities. Madam Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Fisheries and Aqua-culture, said the up-coming Homowo Festival would bring a lot of fishermen who have travelled out of the country back for the celebration and it is important for them to ensure that such people are screened for safety. Dr John Eleeza, Deputy Director Public Health, Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate, said cholera is caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae which dominates in flies that have had contact with infected open defecation. He said the flies then carry the bacteria and releases it into uncovered foods and water thus contaminating them with the disease. The disease, he said, is also sometimes carried by the wind into foods and water. He said about 3,600 cases of cholera had been recorded in Accra between June and now, due to poor personal hygiene and environmental sanitation. Dr Eleeza said the public must have a change of attitude in relation to issues of sanitation, adding that, it is the responsibility of the citizens to keep their environments clean and maintain good personal hygiene as well as to eat clean and hot foods. He urged the public to report cases of cholera as early as possible to any hospital to ensure that patients receive the needed treatment as promptly as possible, since most of such cases are not reported on time leading to deaths.