The Atebubu District Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region has banned funeral activities in the area following the outbreak of cholera.

At least nine people have been reported dead with over hundred people infected by the disease.

The ban is expected to take effect on Sunday.

The District Chief Executive, Sanja Nanja said health officials have identified funeral celebrations as one of the major spread of the disease and have been advised to ban the ceremonies until the situation improves. “After Sunday there will not be any funeral celebration until we are certain that the situation is contained.

“Cholera is a contagious disease, and contact in general is one of the major modes of spread and we have identified that the first week of last month when the funerals were celebrated in their numbers, the [cholera] numbers went up, and this week the funerals started on Thursday and the numbers are going up again. So it means during funerals there is a lot of human contact. So that is the advice doctors have given us,” he stated.

He cautioned residents not to disobey the orders of the funeral committee.

He added that the suspension of the funerals will hold until the situation is under control.