GHS warns North East Region residents of possible cholera outbreak, urges preventive measures

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has urged residents of the North East Region to remain vigilant and report any suspected cholera symptoms to nearby health facilities immediately.

This proactive measure aims to prevent a potential outbreak in the region.

At a media engagement held at the North East regional health directorate in Gambaga on Wednesday (14 May 2025), the health promotion division of the GHS emphasised the importance of timely reporting and treatment.

According to Patience Boahen, Health promotion manager at the GHS headquarters in Accra, “Although the North East Region has not recorded any cholera cases, we can not afford to be complacent. We must take proactive steps to prevent an outbreak and ensure the health and well-being of our communities.”

“We know that the rains have just started, and one of the things that promote the disease is about open defecation. So the faeces that deposited in the open spaces for about four months that we didn’t have rains, now that the rains aw coming, there all going to resurrect.

“The faeces are going to be washed with the rain and some of them will end up in our river bodies where people will go and fetch this water and drink and that is the potential source of cholera,” she stated.

The GHS encourages residents to seek medical attention promptly if they experience symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, or dehydration. By working together, the GHS hopes to prevent a potential cholera outbreak in the North East Region.

Patience Boahen added that it is important that the GHS starts the campaign against any possible cholera outbreak in the region to prevent the residents from getting the cholera disease.

“So it is important that we do the education now for people to be aware that such a disease can come so if you see signs of the disease, we need to quickly report to the health facility. We don’t want a situation where people will start getting diarrhoea, and they want to treat the diarrhoea themselves at home. It could be a cholera case, so all we want is for the media and our stakeholders to support us in this direction.

“Let the information get out there that if you should have any sign of any disease, especially running diarrhoea or running watering stools with vomiting and other signs, please don’t keep it at home. All you need to do [is to] go to the nearest facility,” she said.

She pledged that the health promotion division would strengthen their collaboration with the media to continue to disseminate information about cholera and other communicable diseases in the region and Ghana as a whole.