Cholera outbreak: Bury dead relatives immediately – Environmental Health Office warns

The Central Regional Environmental Health Office has urged families to bury relatives who die from cholera immediately to prevent further spread of the disease.

According to Mr. Emmanuel Owusu Ashia, a Regional Environmental Health Officer in charge of Hygiene Promotion, cholera-infected bodies are highly contagious and could trigger an epidemic if not handled properly. “When somebody dies of cholera, we shouldn’t wait for one or two weeks.

They must be buried quickly,” he emphasized. He advised families to contact environmental health officers for proper disinfection of the body before burial to protect surviving relatives.

Mr. Ashia made this statement during a training session on risk communication for 30 health officers in the Cape Coast Metropolis amid the ongoing cholera outbreak.

The workshop, organized by the Cape Coast Metropolitan Health Directorate, forms part of measures to combat the spread of the disease.

Cape Coast has so far recorded six confirmed and two suspected cholera cases, all of which are being managed by the Cape Coast Metro Hospital.

Mr. Ashia also advised the public to practice frequent handwashing and consume only treated water to reduce the risk of infection.

Meanwhile, the Cape Coast Metro Director of Health Services, Mr. Samuel Kwabena Ofosu, refuted reports that there had been cholera-related deaths in the metropolis. He clarified that a person who initially exhibited cholera symptoms and later died had tested negative for the disease.

To manage the outbreak, five teams have been deployed to various areas to educate residents, disinfect affected communities, and conduct contact tracing.

“Because of our history with cholera outbreaks within the Metropolis, we don’t want to take any chances. We want to control the disease as soon as possible so that it doesn’t spread beyond our capacity,” Mr. Ofosu assured.