According to the Cholera Situational Report from the Ghana Health Service, as of January 21, 2025, the outbreak, which re-emerged in October 2024, had spread across five regions, resulting in 480 confirmed infections and 43 deaths.
The initial epicentres, Ada East and Ada West, continue to be heavily impacted, with persistent water shortages and poor sanitation infrastructure fuelling the spread of disease.
Understanding Cholera
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes cholera as an acute diarrhoeal illness caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the Vibrio cholerae bacterium.
Symptoms can develop within 12 hours to five days and range from mild to severe. In extreme cases, the infection causes rapid dehydration and death if untreated. Alarmingly, even asymptomatic individuals can unknowingly spread the bacteria for up to ten days.
Rain, Floods, and Contamination
The rainy season poses a critical risk, especially in flood-prone and densely populated areas.
Floodwater often mixes with sewage and waste in communities with inadequate drainage systems, creating the perfect breeding ground for cholera. In peri-urban districts such as Ada East and West, the risk is amplified by the lack of proper sanitation infrastructure.
Dr. Philip Narh, Medical Superintendent of Ada East District Hospital, stressed that the rains often transport faecal matter into streams and wells, directly polluting water sources used for drinking, cooking, and bathing. In areas with high rates of open defecation, the danger is even more pronounced.
Unsafe Water and Poor Sanitation
Recent reports indicate that parts of Ada and Ningo are grappling with water scarcity, forcing residents to rely on contaminated sources. The lack of public sanitation facilities has led to open defecation in many communities, further compounding the public health risk.
Mr. Edwin Afotey Ablade Odai, Disease Control Officer at the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, emphasised that cholera is not just a medical issue—it is a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) crisis. He called for improved access to clean water, proper waste disposal, and consistent public health education as keys to halting the disease.
Preparing for the Rainy Season
To prevent a surge in cholera cases, a coordinated and proactive response is required. Stakeholders must scale up sanitation efforts, including the ongoing monthly clean-up campaigns led by the Greater Accra Regional Minister.
These initiatives play a crucial role in clearing waste and ensuring drainage systems are not clogged.
District Assemblies should intensify efforts to provide public toilets, promote hygienic practices, and secure water sources—especially during floods.
Boiling water, chlorination, and covering wells must become standard community practices. Meanwhile, ongoing education campaigns should encourage handwashing with soap, safe food handling, and early health-seeking behaviour.
Conclusion
As the skies darken and the rains draw near, the urgency to act becomes even more critical. Cholera is not an inevitable consequence of the rainy season—it is a preventable tragedy.
The disease thrives where systems fail and where awareness is low, but it can be stopped when communities are informed, empowered, and supported.
This rainy season must be different. It must be one where government agencies strengthen infrastructure, where district leaders enforce sanitation bylaws, and where every individual sees personal hygiene as a life-saving duty.
The fight against cholera is a shared responsibility and one that Ghana cannot afford to lose.
GNA
