Cases of Cholera (including deaths) have been reported in Accra and all medical facilities are on alert.
We get Cholera through ingestion (eating/drinking) of contaminated food or water.
We recommend that we all adopt the following measures IMMEDIATELY:
• Hygiene, in particular:
o Washing hands thoroughly with soap and clean water before touching food or water and after using the toilet.
o Eating warm food. Avoid food prepared in ‘suspicious’ surroundings
o Taking extreme caution when preparing food - especially seafood, vegetables and fruits
o Desisting from communal eating and sharing of cups, plates, etc.
o Ensuring that food vendors cover their products appropriately, and encouraging them to undergo their routine health screening.**
• Proper refuse disposal. For instance:
o All refuse should be well covered
o Indiscriminate defecation should be avoided (can you imagine how faeces may leak into burst pipelines?)
• Provision of potable drinking water
o All water storage containers should be tightly covered
o Drinking water should be boiled and filtered (boiled, at least), and allowed to cool before drinking.
We all have a role to play in preventing outbreaks of cholera. Let us ensure personal and environmental hygiene; encourage others to do the same; and task the appropriate authorities to provide the necessary services.