2. OBJECTIVES
Define/Overview of Cholera
Epidemic on Cholera in Ghana
Signs & Symptoms, complication, risk factors, causes, treatments,
and prevention
Ways of controlling the spread of Cholera
Target: General Population
3. PURPOSE
To increase awareness of preventive measures to reduce cholera
To increase the knowledge on sanitation
4. OVERVIEW OF CHOLERA
Cholera is an acute intestinal
infection caused by the bacterium
Vibrio cholera
An estimated 3-5 million cholera
cases and 100,000 – 120,000
deaths occur annually
Incubation period of 6 hours to 5
days
The outbreaks are spread over
40-50 countries.
5. HOW CHOLERA SPREADS
(Source: adapted from AMREF, 2007, Communicable Diseases Distance Education Program, Unit 11)
6. POOR SANITATION
Large proportions of urban residents in Ghana live in unplanned communities
and receive poor services. Water and sanitation coverage in the country is low
(approximately 61% and 40% respectively) and only 19% of Ghana’s urban
population has access to an improved source of sanitation.
http://www.ghananewsagency.org/health/government-institutes-
policies-to-improve-sanitation--76307
http://www.ghanadistricts.com/images/sublinkphotos/social_
16_em.jpg
7. • Profuse painless watery diarrhea without fever
• Vomiting of clear fluids
• Dehydration
• Rapid heart rate
• Restlessness or Irritability
(especially in children)
• Dry mucous membrane
SYMPTOMS OF CHOLERA
Rice-water stool from a patient
8. SEVERE DEHYDRATION OF
CHOLERA
Skin pinch goes back very slowly
Very sunken eyes
Drinks poorly or unable to drink
http://internationalfaithmissions.blogspot.com/2011/10/this-is-nidel.html
http://healthmad.com/conditions-and-diseases/cholera-3/
9. TREATMENT
• Seek Medical HELP URGENTLY
• Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)
- 80% of cases can be treated with ORS gets better
- It should be used during and after IV therapy
• Antibiotics
• prepackaged mixture of sugar and salts to be mixed with water
and drunk in large amounts.
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=cholera+water&oq=&gs_l=#q=treatment+for+cholera&tbm=isch&imgdii=_
10. IMMUNIZATION FOR CHOLERA
• Vaccination
• Injectable Cholera Vaccine
• Oral Cholera Vaccine:
- There are two types that gives good protection for up to3years
- But doesn’t give 100% protection. Hygiene and sanitary
precautions should be applied.
- Given 2 doses for those above 6 years old and 3 does for those
2-6 years old, 7 days to 6 weeks apart.
11. COMPLICATIONS
• Low blood sugar; unusually result in seizures, unconsciousness
• Low potassium levels; due to loss of large quantities of
minerals can interfere with heart and nerve function
• Kidney failure
• Shock
• Coma
• Death
12. • Drink only properly treated water
• Avoid ice unless you are sure it’s from sate water source
• Always eat foods that is well cooked and always served hot
• Avoid raw seafood and other raw food
• Always wash your hands before preparing food, work, and after
the use of sanitary facilities.
CHOLERA PREVENTION
13. SITUATION IN GHANA (1)
In March 2011, Accra recorded 4,190 cases and 36 deaths.
Between June and July 2014, Greater Accra region recorded a toal of 878
cases; out of this number, 604 cases and eight deaths were reported in the
Accra metroplosis alone.
Poor sanitation, over population, and scarcity of clean drinking water are the
primary reasons
Retrieved from: http://photos.myjoyonline.com/photos/news/201111/832998586_175714.jpg
14. SITUATION IN GHANA (2)
General deplorable state of latrines & urinals
lack of hand washing facilities
inadequate and poor storage of drinking water &
inappropriate refuse disposal
31% of school children lack access to safe drinking water,
whilst 78% do not have access to good sanitation
15. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
• Enforcement of the law
• Target investment to the poorest community
• Allocate higher investment to sanitation
• Priorities elimination of open defecation
• More awareness for the people
16. PROGRAMS & ORGANIZATIONS
The government of Ghana has developed:
- Ghana Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ( GWASH) project
- Awareness and preventative measures teaching
- Develop short and long term multi-sectoral plan
- National Cholera prevention and control plan
- National Task Force
17. CONCLUSION
Wash your hands before cooking, before eating and after
using the restroom
Cook food and drink safe water
Go to the health facility as soon as possible in case of any
acute watery diarrhea.
18. REFERENCES
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Cholera.
Retrieved on August 2, 2014 from http://cdc.gov/cholera/disease.html
WHO. (2014). Cholera. Retrieved on July 31, 2014 from
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets
Ghana Government. (2014).
Cholera Outbreak In Ghana by Hon. Deputy Minister of Health. Retrieved on August
2, 2014 from http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php
Guillaume C., Bernard C., Jean G. (2006) Cholera Threat to Humans in Ghana Is
Influenced by Both Global and Regional Climatic Variability. Ecohealth Journal
Consortium 2006 10.1007/s10393-006-0061-5
Frank B. Osei. Spatial statistics epidemic data: the case of cholera epidemiology in
Ghana. PhD thesis, 2010
