Els: MBN360 Health
Ghana’s Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced the deployment of Public Health Nurses to flood-affected communities to educate residents on disease prevention.
According to him, health officials are intensifying efforts to prevent a possible outbreak of waterborne and vector-borne diseases following the recent floods.
The Health Minister made this known after leading a team of health officials on an assessment tour of flood-prone areas to evaluate sanitation conditions and strengthen public health education.
During visits to Adawnaa, Neoplan Station, and Achimota Alogboshie, residents and traders were sensitised on preventive measures.
“As homes have been flooded and water has carried faecal matter, germs and other contaminants into living areas, there is a high risk of infections. We need to educate residents on preventive measures. They should ensure they eat warm food and boil rainwater or treat it with alum before use. Anyone experiencing diarrhoea should visit a health facility early,” he said.
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The Minister said public health nurses and community health workers would be deployed to affected areas to sustain awareness and prevention campaigns.
“We are also going to deploy public health nurses into the communities to continue awareness creation and prevention education,” he added.
The public has been urged to keep their surroundings clean and report suspected cases of cholera or other infectious diseases promptly to the nearest health facility.
Heavy rains and flooding often leave behind stagnant water, blocked drains and contaminated water sources, creating conditions conducive to the spread of waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases.
Health authorities warn that without proper sanitation and timely intervention, outbreaks of cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid fever and malaria could emerge in affected communities.
Monday’s heavy rains left several communities flooded, with food items destroyed and water sources contaminated.
