Ghana: Death toll from cholera outbreak hit 37

The cholera outbreak in some parts of Ghana has claimed 37 lives as of December 26, 2024, with confirmed cases rising from 346 to 359.

The Western Region recorded two additional fatalities, prompting the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to initiate mortality audits.

Out of the recorded deaths, five individuals were brought in already deceased.

A total of 4,618 suspected cases have been reported across 91 out of the country’s 276 districts.

The number of districts with confirmed cholera cases has also increased, rising from 44 to 46 as of December 24, 2024.

New cases have emerged in Agona East (Central Region) and La Nkwantanang Madina (Greater Accra Region).

To address the outbreak, the GHS has deployed multi-sectoral rapid response teams at the national, regional, and district levels.

These teams are working to contain the spread and provide essential support to affected communities.

While hospitalizations have decreased from 64 to 46 within the reporting period, the Western Region continues to have the highest number of hospitalized individuals at 37. The Greater Accra Region reports three hospitalizations, while the Central Region has six.

Contact tracing efforts have been robust, with 9,667 contacts identified. Among these, 8,667 have completed the mandatory five-day follow-up period.

Additionally, Phase 2 of the sub-national Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaign concluded between December 15 and 18, 2024, targeting hotspots in the Western Region. Districts such as Sekondi-Takoradi, Effia Kwesimintsim, Shama, and Ahanta West were covered, with a mop-up exercise conducted on December 19. The campaign successfully vaccinated 596,205 people, achieving 92.9% coverage of the target population.

GHS has also intensified testing of food vendors and water sources in affected districts to prevent further spread.