The death toll from the ongoing cholera outbreak in Ghana has risen to 37, with confirmed cases increasing from 346 to 359 as of December 26, 2024, according to the latest report from the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
The two new deaths, recorded in the Western Region, have prompted the GHS to conduct mortality audits to better understand the escalation. Of the total deaths, five individuals were brought in dead, and 91 out of 276 districts have collectively reported 4,618 cumulative suspected cases.
The GHS also reported a rise in the number of districts with confirmed cholera cases, from 44 to 46 as of December 24, 2024, with the most recent affected districts being Agona East in the Central Region and La Nkwantanang Madina in the Greater Accra Region.
In response to the outbreak, the GHS has mobilized multi-sectoral rapid response teams at the national, regional, and district levels to contain the situation. Additionally, contact tracing has been ramped up, with 9,667 contacts identified and 8,667 completing a 5-day follow-up.
While the number of hospitalizations has decreased from 64 to 46, the Western Region has recorded the highest number of hospitalizations, with 37 affected persons, while Greater Accra and the Central Region report fewer cases.
In an effort to curb the spread, the GHS completed Phase 2 of the sub-national Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaign in 18 sub-districts within four hotspot districts in the Western Region. Over 596,000 people, 92.9% of the targeted population, were vaccinated between December 15 and 19, 2024.
The GHS has also intensified food and water safety testing in the affected areas as part of its ongoing response to the outbreak.
