“Cholera clearly is a water and sanitation problem. It is clearly cleanliness and if we don’t tackle it from that angle we will continue to be at a receiving end”, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akan­doh, advised.

The Minister was speaking at the launch of a cholera vaccination campaign for the Greater Accra region aimed at immunising about 300,000 residents aged one year and above in three sub-districts.

The areas are; Ablekuma South, Okaikoi South and Ashiedu Kete­ke are among potential hotspots in the region identified for cholera surge as they faced water and sani­tation problems.

The four-day exercise expected to end today, Monday, February 17, 2025, and is expected to boost resident’s immunity against the dis­ease as part of nationwide efforts to contain the epidemic.

Mr Akandoh underscored the need for a multifaceted approach to tackle the cholera outbreak with priority focus on providing access to safe drinking water, proper san­itation facilities and good hygiene practices for the citizenry.

Assuring citizens of the commitment of the Ministry to bring the epidemic under control by making test kits, drugs, med­ications among other forms of support available, the Minister re­minded citizens also, not to renege on their role.

“As citizens we also have our part to play. Let’s prioritise our health and safety by ensuring that the food and water we consume are hygienic and safe to prevent unnecessary illnesses and deaths.

The cholera vaccines are safe and would cause no harm to the health of citizens. We encourage all citizens to take them when it gets to their turn and encourage their children to do same so that together we can curb the ongoing cholera risk,” he urged.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, emphasised the need for a collec­tive effort in battling the cholera outbreak in the country.

He said the vaccine were safe, encouraging the public to embrace it as a key intervention to prevent the spread of cholera.

Prof. Akoriyea further expressed gratitude to healthcare workers who have been working tirelessly to combat the current outbreak, cautioning the public to take the cholera vaccines only from trained and identifiable GHS vaccination teams.

The World Health organisa­tion(WHO), Country Represen­tative, Dr Frank Lule , expressed the organisation’s dedication to working with the government to respond to the outbreak and pre­pare for future health crises.

Ghana is experiencing a surge in cholera cases across various regions, including Greater Accra, Eastern, Central, Ashanti, and Western regions.

So far, about 6,000 suspected cases have been recorded with over 500 confirmed and about 40 deaths since October last year.

The vaccines have come in as an addition to multiple interventions being deployed to contain spread of the disease so as not to deterio­rate further.

Cholera, a highly contagious bacterial infection, spreads primar­ily through contaminated food and water, leading to severe diarrhoea, dehydration, and, in extreme cases, fatal complications.

The outbreak has been linked to poor sanitation, inadequate access to clean drinking water, and unhy­gienic food handling practices.