Cholera epidemic kills 11 in Ghana
April 5th, 2012 - 10:06 am ICT by IANSAccra, April 5 (IANS) At least 11 people have died from a fresh outbreak of cholera in Ghana’s capital Accra in less than two weeks, Xinhua reported.
Edward Antwi, deputy regional director of public health confirmed the toll.
Poor sanitation in the city has been blamed for the outbreak. Most homes in Ghana are without toilet facilities while the few that were previously available have been converted into rooms, shops and stores for rentals.
Authorities have cautioned residents to be aware of the food and water they consume.
Officials of the Ghana Health Service have begun sensitising food vendors on the need to observe personal and food hygiene to end the cholera epidemic.
Ghana recorded 94 deaths out of 8,494 cases of cholera last year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 120,000 people die each year from cholera.
- Ghana cholera toll rises to 21 - Apr 19, 2012
- 10 killed in cholera outbreak in Uganda - Jun 17, 2010
- Nearly 300 die of cholera in Sierra Leone: WHO - Sep 21, 2012
- Cholera in Assam tea gardens: 16 killed, 150 affected - Oct 27, 2010
- Aid for Haiti a priority as 600,000 still live in camps following quake - Oct 06, 2011
- Ghana to hold forum on water issues - Aug 05, 2011
- Special sugar, nanoparticles may help detect cholera toxin - Jan 19, 2011
- At least 796 dead in Haiti's cholera outbreak, up to 200,000 in risk - Nov 12, 2010
- Haiti cholera toll rises to 2,591 - Dec 22, 2010
- Ghana turns to India to fight mountains of waste - Jul 22, 2011
- Cholera Claims About 800 Lives In West Africa - Sep 11, 2010
- Haiti cholera deaths top 1,500 - Nov 26, 2010
- Over 2,300 now dead from cholera in Haiti - Dec 14, 2010
- Haiti's cholera strain came from South Asia: Study - Dec 11, 2010
- Floods trigger epidemic fears in Meghalaya - Aug 22, 2011
Tags: authorities, capital accra, cases of cholera, cholera epidemic, deaths, deputy regional director, director of public health, food hygiene, food vendors, ghana accra, health service, outbreak of cholera, poor sanitation, toilet facilities, world health organization, xinhua