Cholera Outbreak in Accra and Tema Blamed on Delays in Garbage Collection

Some residents within the Accra and Tema metropolis are blaming the recent outbreak of cholera on the delay in their garbage collection.
They are blaming the city authorities of relenting on their mandate of ensuring that their environs and city is rid of filth.
Residents of Kotobabi and New Town in Accra and El Passo in Tema are appalled by the manner in which they co-exist with garbage, coupled with stench from stinking water of gutters beside their homes.
The residents fear that the insanitary conditions that they co-exist with, will intensify the outburst of the cholera endemic within their vicinities.
Cholera is an infectious bacterial disease that attacks the small intestine.
Poor sanitation, over-crowding, and feces of an infected person are the mediums through which the disease spreads with diarrheoa , muscle cramps, low blood pressure and thirst amongst the symptoms of the disease.
Personal hygiene has been advised as a potent remedy for the epidemic.
So far, about fifteen cholera patients are reported dead, out of over 870 cases in the Greater Accra Region since June this year.
Between June and July, the Greater Accra region has recorded a total of 878 cholera cases with the Accra metropolis alone recording 604 of the cases and eight deaths.
In the Ga West Municipality alone,10 cases were recorded; Ga South, 4; La Kwantana district, 12 and the La Dadekotokpon, 20, bringing the total to 176 cases.
Statistics show that in March 2011, statistics on cholera in the Greater Accra region showed that 4,190 cases were recorded with 36 deaths.
Despite this challenge, Executive Secretary of Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA),Ama Ofori Antwi confirmed to Joy News’ Maame Adwoa Konadu, that as part of the association’s social and corporate responsibility, they intend on collaborating with local government in organizing a clean-up campaign in a bid to rid the metropolis of filth.
In a related development, government has recently commissioned a new waste disposal facility at Nsumia within the Ga-West municipality.
This new site is to ease the enormous pressure on the Kpone landfill site and the closed Pantang site and is expected to receive about 2,500 tonnes of waste each day.