Cholera Cases Increases In Central Region

Cholera cases in the Central Region have increased to 2,098, Dr. Kwaku Anin KariKari, the Central Regional Deputy Director of the Ghana health Service, in charge of Public Health has said. As of September 26, a total of 36 people had died with Cape Coast, the regional capital leading with 13 deaths out of 922 cases. Presenting the current situation on cholera in the region at the 6th Regional Civil Society Organisation Health Forum in Cape Coast on Thursday, he said Ajumako Enyan Essiam was least affected with 12 cases and no deaths. Agona West has recorded 468 cases with nine deaths, Awutu Senya East had 364 cases with four deaths, Effutu, 73 cases with one death, Abura-Asebu- Kwamankese 57 cases with two deaths, Mfantseman 48 cases but no death and Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem had 47 cases with three deaths, Awutu Senya West, 36 cases one death, Upper Denkyira East, 33 cases without death, Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira 31 cases one death, Agona East 18 cases with one death, Gomoa West, 16 cases with one death, Gomoa East, 13 cases with one death and Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa 11 cases but no death. Dr. Karikari said as at Sept 28, a total of 18,445 cases including 150 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 0.8 percent had been reported from nine out of 10 regions with Upper East the only region, which had not recorded any case. On Ebola, he said people were infectious as long as their blood and secretions contained the virus adding that semen of men who recovered from the disease was infectious up to 7 weeks. He said an epidemic response team headed by the Central Regional Minister, Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah had been instituted and gave the assurance that the health sector and government were doing their best to prevent an outbreak in the country. �Communicable diseases have always been with mankind. The key to making these diseases insignificant in terms of public health, is knowing the micro-organism causing the diseases, the mode of transmission and the risk factors,� Dr Karikari said.