Self-medicating cholera can lead to death—Disease Control Officer

Mr. Edwin Afotey Ablade Odai, the Tema Metro Disease Control Officer, has cautioned the public against self-medicating when having symptoms of cholera.

Mr. Odai stressed that self-medicating in cholera cases could lead to death, saying, “Get timely medical attention for cholera instead of self-medicating.” He gave the caution during a stakeholders’ engagement organized by the Tema Metro Health Directorate to plan on how to stop the spread of cholera.

He explained that “with cholera and diarrhea, if you don’t take immediate steps to get medical care, you can die from losing fluid and electrolytes from the body.” The disease control officer also reminded the public that cholera could be very infectious, as some people could carry the infectious bacterium without being sick but would be infecting others with the disease.

He stated, for instance, that infected food vendors could easily spread it to their customers through the food they sell to them. He therefore called on the environmental health department to ensure that food vendors observed effective hygiene and handwashing practices.

Giving data on the cholera situation in the Greater Accra Region as of January 17, 2025, he disclosed that 164 confirmed cases in 18 districts had been documented. He said out of the total, 12 persons died, representing a 0.93 per cent case fatality rate.

Mr. Odai further noted that out of the 12 deaths in the Greater Accra Region, Ada East accounted for two; Ga South, one; Ablekuma, one; Weija Gbawe, one; Ga Central, one; and Accra Metro, four.

He disclosed that while patients aged between 21-30 accounted for a chunk of the confirmed cases (57), those aged 31-40 recorded the highest death toll of four. Cholera is an acute diarrhea illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacteria Vibrio cholerae.

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Source: GNA