The Ghana Health Service (GHS) reports that the number of typhoid fever cases in the Oti Region has increased significantly, from 10,233 in the second quarter to 22,261 cases as of August 28, 2025.
Madam Cynthia Sekyere, the Regional Environmental Health Officer, called on the government and development partners to act immediately, calling the situation a serious public health risk.
She ascribed the outbreak mainly to inadequate sanitation and a shortage of drinkable water.
The hardest-hit areas have been the Krachi West and Krachi East districts, which are near Volta Lake.
Inappropriate waste disposal and careless defecation, she noted, frequently contaminate water sources after rainfall, making the disease’s spread worse.
The Regional Health Directorate is stepping up public education as part of temporary solutions, encouraging citizens to boil or chlorine-treat water before using it to reduce the danger of contamination.
In addition to issues with water and sanitation, the crisis has been exacerbated by lax implementation of sanitary regulations.
Madam Sekyere claimed that the fact that just eight of the 19 court summonses issued to sanitation violators in 2024 were successfully executed gave many locals the confidence to disregard the law.
Twenty-one certified environmental health officers have been placed throughout the region’s municipal and district assemblies to bolster enforcement.
To enforce adherence to sanitary standards, they will rely on the Public Health Act, the Criminal Code, and local government bylaws.
Madam Sekyere emphasized that attempts to contain the outbreak would be jeopardized in the absence of improved law enforcement and funding for clean water systems.
Source: newsthemegh.com