In order to put Cholera outbreak under control, there is the need to concientize the general public by creating awareness of the disease’s outbreak and also commencing a vaccination project to reduse the spread. The Central Regional Health Director Dr. Mrs. Agnes Achiama Anane appreciated the people of Winneba and Agona Swedru for honouring the invitation and coming in their numbers.
In his address. the Ag. Director General of Ghana Health Service, Prof. Samuel Kaba admonished the participants and the general public that the vaccine will not act as a magic bullet proof to cholera. But rather we should continue washing our hands with soap under running water as we used to do during the days of Covid-19 and ensure to keep our surroudings clean and tidy because cleanliness drives cholera away. Prof. Kaba went ahead to inform the participants that Ghana Health Service (GHS) has been able to train about 453 personnels to be deployed in the surrounding communities to ensure no body is left behind.
In the course to demonstrate that the vaccine is not poisonous as some people may say, the Central Regional Minister Hon. Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere and the Ag. Director General of Ghana Health Service Prof. Samuel Kaba took their dose of the vaccine in the presence of everyone.
The Central Regional Minister, Hon Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere in his address made it known to the public that our attitudes towards sanitation is not encouraging and as a result the Government is spending millions of cedis on cholera patients. These sums of money is being spent on cholera because of our own poor attitudes towards sanitation and for that matter it affects the funds allocated for the 24-hour Economy Initiative. Basically in his demonstration, he made everyone understand that we keep refuse in our various houses and the Government has to spend huge sums of money to collect and dispose them.
Hon. Edumoah reiterated that it is a collective responsibility for all to tidy up our homes and distill our gutters. “As I am the representative of H.E. John Dramani Mahama in the region I declare the last Saturday of every month as a day dedicated for clean up exercise in the region”. he said. Hon. Eduamoah encouraged stakeholders like the chiefs, the media, religious leaders, etc to talk about cholera outbreak in the region so that the people of Central Region will be fully aware of the consequencies of the disease.
The Member of Parliament for Agona West Constituency Hon. Ernestina Ofori Dangbey appreciated the presence of all dignataries and everyone who made it to the programme. “Cholera is a no joke disease so we have to keep our homes and surroundings very hygienic” she said. The Hon. Member of Parliament added that cholera kills and it is even more dangeruos than any other disease we could we think of so we should continue to tidy our environments in order to bring the disease under control. Hon. Ofori Dangbey appreciated the efforts of all health workers in the municipality because they have been the front liners helping to bring the outbreak under control.