Curbing cholera transmission: Effutu Municipal Assembly organises clean-up exercise

He Central Regional Minister, Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere, last Thursday joined residents of Winneba in the Effutu Municipality of the Central Region for a massive clean-up as part of efforts to curb the rising cases of cholera in the region. 

The outbreak has claimed 14 lives and 1500 suspected cases in the region.

The Effutu Municipality alone has recorded 412 suspected cases as of Wednesday, February 12, 2025, with 36 confirmed cases and three deaths, a situation health officials described as alarming.

The three-hour exercise, organised by the Effutu Municipal Assembly, was undertaken mostly in communities along the coast of the municipality including Copa Junction through Nkwantanan, Eyipe, Penkye, Ponkorkyir to Alatakokodo.

The exercise saw the team made up of assembly members and staff, security services, as well as sanitation workers, cleaning, sweeping and clearing choked gutters.

The exercise saw the team made up of assembly members and staff, security services as well as sanitation workers, cleaning, sweeping and clearing choked gutters 

The Effutu Municipality had instituted swift emergency interventions to contain the spread and break transmission. 

Mr Okyere, addressing the residents, charged them to prioritise good sanitation practices to promote a healthy environment and lifestyle in the area.

He stated that the President John Mahama-led administration was committed to rolling out environmentally friendly policies aimed at improving the sanitation situation to help contain the spread, as well as curb insanitary-related diseases.

He stated that open defecation remained a major driver of the cholera outbreak and appealed to the people to adhere to good sanitation and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of the cholera disease.

Mr Okyere underscored the need to invest in programmes to intensify the awareness creation on environmental health and sanitation to increase consciousness for healthier lifestyle.

He stated that the commitment to community clean-up efforts stemmed from the people’s understanding of the causes of cholera.

According to him, Ghanaians must unite in the quest to implement effective strategies that would significantly reduce environmental hazards and promote public health.

Mr Okyere admonished the authorities of the Effutu Municipal Assembly to strictly enforce sanitation-related bylaws to enhance the maintenance of good sanitation practices in the area.

The minister later visited health facilities in the municipality where suspected and confirmed cholera patients were on admission.

He pledged that the central regional coordinating council would work with stakeholders to contain the spread of the disease in the area.