Tuesday, 18th February, 2025
Hon Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
Juaboso
Mr Speaker, I appear before you today to brief the House and the people of Ghana on the ongoing outbreak of cholera and Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM), and more importantly, to provide an update on measures being taken by Government to contain the spread of these diseases.
Mr Speaker, as you are aware, Ghana is currently facing an outbreak of cholera and meningitis. Additionally, a single case of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) has also been detected in the country.
Mr Speaker, before I go further, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all our health workers for their unwavering dedication and resilience. In the past week, I had the privilege to interact with health care workers in health facilities and communities in the Upper West, Greater Accra, and Central Regions. Their tireless efforts on the front lines of these outbreaks are truly commendable and as a nation, we are deeply indebted to them.
Mr Speaker, the Government of H. E. John Dramani Mahama, in the face of limited resources, came to office with a pledge to build a more robust healthcare system that, among other objectives, will prevent diseases and promote good health. We remain fully committed to this, and in the past few weeks, the leadership and support for the outbreaks of these diseases is a clear demonstration of the commitment of Government.
Mr Speaker, I will now share the updates on the specific diseases and the measures taken to bring these outbreaks under control.
Cholera Outbreak
Mr Speaker, cholera is caused by the bacterium, vibrio cholerae. Affected individuals may experience a sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhoea, often accompanied by vomiting. This can lead to rapid dehydration and further complications if not treated promptly. The time between exposure to the bacterium and the appearance of symptoms, called the incubation period, ranges from 12 to 48 hours, within an average of two to three days.
Mr Speaker, the transmission of cholera occurs primarily through the consumption of water or food contaminated with faecal matter. This contamination can happen in various ways, including:
i. Direct contamination of drinking water sources with sewage.
ii. Consumption of raw fruits and vegetables that have been irrigated with contaminated water.
iii. Poor food handling practices that allow for cross-contamination.
Mr Speaker, several factors contribute to the persistence of cholera in our communities. These include: i. Poor sanitation and hygiene practices, particularly open defecation which, unfortunately, is still prevalent in many areas. ii. Inadequate access to safe drinking water, especially in rural and periurban communities, as well as erratic water supply, which compels people to rely on unsafe sources. iii. The presence of street food vendors who may not adhere to proper hygiene standards.
Mr Speaker, I must put on record that the current cholera outbreak began over five months ago in October 2024 in Ada West in the Greater Accra Region. Since the outset in October 2024, it has unfortunately spread to other districts in the Greater Accra Region and four other regions namely Central, Western, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions. As at 13th February, 2025, we had recorded 6,145 cases, confirmed 719 cases, and, unfortunately, recorded 49 deaths. In all, five regions have reported cases since the outbreak began. These are: Greater Accra, Central, Western, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions.
It is worth noting that the situation is improving, with active cases now concentrated in the Central Region only.
Mr Speaker, allow me to elaborate on the situation in the Central Region. This Region has been particularly affected by the current outbreak with a significant number of cases reported in recent weeks. The districts of Agona West and Effutu have been particularly hard-hit. In the past week alone, these two districts reported 133 cases, 23 admissions, and, unfortunately, two deaths.
Mr Speaker, despite the worrying situation in the Central Region, I bring encouraging news. New cholera cases are decreasing, and the districts of Agona West and Effutu, which were initially hard-hit, are now showing a decline in new cases. As at 16th February, 2025, only the Central Region had active cases. The Region reported a total of 28 active cases on admission.
i. Effutu - 18 cases
ii. Cape Coast - 6 cases, and
iii. Agona West - 4 cases,
Mr Speaker, this positive shift is a testament to the relentless efforts of our healthcare workers and partners who are diligently implementing a robust response plan. This plan includes, heightened surveillance to swiftly identify and manage cases, strengthened laboratory capacity for accurate and timely diagnosis, and environmental assessments to pinpoint and address risk factors. We have also established cholera treatment centres, and conducting public awareness campaigns to educate communities. The strategic deployment of oral cholera vaccines in high-risk areas is further contributing to this positive trend.
Mr Speaker, please, permit me to now highlight the measures that have been taken to respond to this outbreak in order to bring it under control. In doing this, I must add that the response to cholera is multisectoral. The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with various partners, has a comprehensive response plan in motion. The action plans are as follows:
i. Coordination: We have activated Regional and District Public Health Emergency Committees in all affected regions to ensure a coordinated response.
ii. Surveillance: We have heightened surveillance in all districts, with active community case search and contact tracing to identify and manage cases promptly.
iii. Laboratory: We have strengthened laboratory capacity to test and confirm suspected cases, ensuring accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.
iv. Environmental Assessment: We have conducted environmental assessments in all affected districts to identify and address risk factors, such as poor sanitation and water supply.
v. Case Management: We have set up cholera treatment centres in affected districts and provided training to healthcare workers on case management, infection prevention, and control.
vi. Risk Communication and Community Engagement: We have launched public awareness campaigns to educate communities about cholera prevention and control measures.
vii. Vaccination: We have deployed oral cholera vaccines in high-risk areas to protect vulnerable population and prevent further spread.
Mr Speaker, permit me to provide additional details on the cholera vaccination. Phase 1 and 2 subnational Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) Campaigns were completed in five districts in the Central and Western Regions: Awutu Senya East, Sekondi-Takoradi, Effia Kwesimintsim, Shama, and Ahanta West. A total of 596,205 people, representing 92 per cent of the target population, were vaccinated.
Subsequent to the Phase 1 and 2 vaccinations, OCVs were approved for Accra Metro and vaccination just ended; the period was from 14th to 17th February. As at Sunday, 17th February, a total of 257,370 people had been vaccinated in the Ablekuma, Ashiedu Keteke, Okaikwei, and Accra Metro areas. Also, we have secured approval for vaccination for Agona West and submitted an application for Effutu.
Mr Speaker, despite our efforts, we continue to face challenges in our response to the cholera outbreak. These challenges include, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, and limited access to safe water. As you can see, cholera persists in our country for a reason. It persists because of the poor sanitation, including open defecation, unsafe water, and unhygienic food. As a result, cholera requires a multisectoral approach in our efforts to bring it under control. I take this opportunity to thank our local authorities, who have been supporting the response, and call on them to do more.
Mr Speaker, most importantly, in the long term, we will need to improve our sanitation situation, food and water safety, and personal hygiene to rid our environment of cholera, and to ensure that even when there is an outbreak, it does not have suitable conditions to facilitate spread.
Meningitis Outbreak
Mr Speaker, meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges: the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. It is characterised by a range of symptoms, including fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, confusion, convulsions, and in severe cases, coma.
Mr Speaker, meningitis outbreaks in Ghana typically occur in the northern regions and neighbouring districts in the Bono and Oti regions. These areas lie within the meningitis belt of Africa - which stretches from Senegal and Gambia in the West to Ethiopia in the East. The meningitis belt experiences seasonal outbreaks during the dry and hot weather conditions, often referred to as the "meningitis season". In Ghana, this meningitis season extends over the harmattan months from October up to March.
Mr Speaker, it is worth noting the following which informs the response to the meningitis outbreak: there are a number of organisms that may cause meningitis including viruses, bacteria, et cetera, and some of these can be prevented by vaccination. In Ghana, two main types of pathogens cause outbreaks: Neisseria and Streptococcus. Based on the type of Neisseria, the population can be vaccinated. However, vaccination does not apply to Streptococcus which is the strain currently causing havoc in the Upper West Region. This means that, currently, vaccination is not one of the measures we can use to control the ongoing outbreak.
It is worth noting, Mr Speaker, that Streptococcus is fatal and usually starts early in the meningitis season only to be followed by Neisseria, which is less fatal but spreads wider, and responds to vaccination.
Mr Speaker, I must put on record that the current meningitis outbreak in the Upper West Region is rightly a cause for serious concern. This concern is not just because of the current outbreak, but because the Upper West Region has consistently recorded high numbers of meningitis cases during the dry season in recent years. In the current season, as of Sunday, 16th February, we had recorded over 129 cases and unfortunately (16) deaths while 29 people are currently on admission. The districts most affected, Mr Speaker, are Wa Municipal, Nadowli, Wa West, Jirapa and Nandom.
Mr Speaker, despite the substantial number of cases and unfortunate deaths, I wish to assure the House and the good people of Ghana that we have made considerable efforts to keep the outbreak under control. Our efforts are paying off. Already, a wave of improvement is evident in the Upper West Region, where new meningitis cases are decreasing.
This positive change follows the Ministry of Health's swift and decisive actions, which included deploying experts to support local health teams, conducting a high-level visit to assess the situation and providing support, and ensuring free treatment for all affected individuals. We also activated the Emergency Operations Centre for coordinated response efforts and engaged in consultations with international experts. The mobilisation of essential antibiotics and targeted public awareness campaigns have further bolstered our efforts in controlling the outbreak.
Mr Speaker, please permit me to highlight some of the specific measures by the Ministry of Health and its partners in response to the meningitis outbreak:
Deployment of Experts: We have dispatched a team of experts from the national level to support the regional and district health teams in managing the outbreak.
Free Treatment: We have exempted all individuals affected by meningitis from paying for treatment, ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need.
Emergency Operations Centre: We have activated the Emergency Operations Centre at the national and regional levels to coordinate the response efforts.
Coordination Meetings: We are holding weekly coordination meetings with meningitis experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure that our response is aligned with international best practices.
Mobilisation of Antibiotics: We have mobilised additional antibiotics to support the Regional Medical Stores while the International Crisis Group (ICG) has also approved 10,000 vials of Ceftriaxone, the antibiotic used in treating meningitis, to ensure that there is no shortage of essential medicines.
Public Awareness: We have launched intensive public education campaigns to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and encourage early reporting to health facilities.
Community Engagement: We have engaged with community leaders and opinion leaders to solicit their support in raising awareness and encouraging community participation in the response.
High-Level Visit: The Minister responsible for Health and the DirectorGeneral of the Ghana Health Service have conducted a high-level visit to the affected communities to assess the situation and provide support.
International Assistance: We have also secured technical assistance from the WHO through the delegation of an expert to help us improve on our management of the Meningitis outbreak in the Upper West Region.
Mr Speaker, we have also identified a single case of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in the country. HMPV is a respiratory virus that can cause a range of respiratory illnesses, from mild coldlike symptoms to severe pneumonia. While it can affect people of all ages, it is most commonly seen in young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.
In response to recent increases in respiratory cases in China and some temperate countries in December 2024, as part of our routine surveillance, we commenced testing for HMPV this year, January 2025. So far, a total of 90 samples have been selected for testing, and only one positive case has been detected for HMPV. This was detected in an elderly person.
Mr Speaker, I want to assure the House that the risk of HMPV in Ghana remains low. As you can see, we have robust surveillance systems in place to monitor for respiratory viruses, including HMPV. In fact, these systems have been strengthened in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. We therefore assure the country that any case of HMPV will be quickly identified and managed to prevent spread.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Health is fully committed to working with our partners to control these ongoing outbreaks and to protect the health of all Ghanaians. We have implemented a range of measures to address these challenges, including: Strengthening surveillance to detect and track cases, providing timely and effective treatment to those affected, raising public awareness about prevention and control measures and; collaborating with local and international partners to coordinate our response.
In addition to these technical interventions, in line with the aspirations of His Excellency, President John Mahama's Government, I would like to emphasise that effective control of these outbreaks is of utmost importance to my office. It is for this reason that in the past week alone, I joined health workers at health facilities and in communities to better appreciate the issues on the ground in order to provide a more informed support.
Mr Speaker, together with my team we have been to the following places: Upper West (Meningitis Response), Regional Health Directorate, Wa Na's Palace, Nadowli District Hospital, Queen of Peace Senior High School (S.H.S.), Wa Regional Hospital, Greater Accra and Central Regions (Cholera Response), Mamprobi hospital, Martyrs of Uganda School, Winneba Municipal Hospital, Winneba Township, Winneba Beach front and Swedru Municipal Hospital.
Mr Speaker, at this juncture, I would like to encourage all health workers - especially those in the hard-hit districts to support the ongoing response to the outbreak. Similarly, I would like to call on the Municipal/District Assemblies including local authorities responsible for water, sanitation, and food safety, to actively play their part in enforcing local bye-laws, ensuring access to safe water and food, and supporting awareness creation. In addition, I also appeal to our friends in the media to support the public education and awareness some more to fully prevent any further spread of these outbreaks.
Mr Speaker, as I end, permit me to call on my fellow Members of Parliament to support the local authorities and health workers to educate our fellow country men and women on how to prevent these diseases and the important need to report early to the health facilities when they have symptoms suggestive of any of these diseases. This helps to prevent further spread and complications, including unfortunate loss of lives.
Mr Speaker, finally, I want to reassure the House that we are doing everything in our power to contain these outbreaks and safeguard the health of our nation. We would continue to monitor the situation closely and provide regular updates to the House and the public.
Mr Speaker, before I end, let me use this opportunity to acknowledge some of the assistance and donations some Hon Members have also made in this direction. The Rt Hon Speaker has made significant donations to the Upper West Region in the fight against meningitis. Equally, the Minority Leader, Hon Afenyo-Markin, has also contributed to the fight against cholera in Effutu.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity.
Hon Mark Kurt Nawaane
Nabdam
Mr Speaker, thank you very much. Mr Speaker, mine is a question to the Minister for Health It is related to—
Mr Speaker, I want to acknowledge the very good work that the Minister for Health has done. The presentation is complete and very good. In fact, he has detailed all the steps that have been taken to fight these two situations: one at the coastal area and then the other at the northern part of the country. And all throughout, we still see that if you take cholera for example, year upon year, we still have cholera coming. Practically, every year, we have an outbreak of cholera. The only time that I still remember we did not get cholera was when we had COVID-19. When we had COVID-19, we did not get cholera that year. That, probably, should give us some information, and that is, when we had COVID-19, we started hand washing, our environment was very clean, so we did not get this outbreak of cholera during that year.
Mr Speaker, so, I would advise the Minister for Health to collaborate with the other Ministries like Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; and Environment, Science, and Technology such that we bring back this age old—We call them tankas or sanitary inspectors. I do not remember those who might be as old as I am, but they used to come to our houses, and when your house is not clean, they can take you to court or they can arrest you. We should bring the sanitary inspectors back; they are products of the School of Hygiene, and I believe that this is the time to bring a number of them and create employment for the youth of this country.
So, we should do something of the sort to ensure that we keep our environment very clean. Apart from that, Hon Minister—I do not know, but with meningitis, we should be very careful because there can be what we call nosocomial infections. That is infection of those who are also working at the hospital. That is the staff: the nurses and the doctors, so they need a lot of protection. They need to take very good care of themselves and make sure that the people who are taking care of the sick do not fall sick themselves and reduce the workforce.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity, and thank you, Minister, for your good presentation.
Hon Fred Kyei Asamoah
Offinso North
Mr Speaker, thank you and thanks to the Hon Minister for Health for his response to the three issues that were raised by Hon Members on the Floor.
Mr Speaker, as we appreciate the Hon Minister, we also want to see some trends, especially when it comes to the meningitis. I realised he talked about over 100 cases, 16 deaths that have been recorded, and over 20 patients who are hospitalised. So, we do not know whether the number of deaths would increase at the end of the meningitis period. We raised this issue of the meningitis belt, and where Ghana is placed, we are not going to be away.
Mr Speaker, so, we want to see a more robust approach as to how this meningitis issue would be covered. The Hon Member who just spoke talked about other Ministries, and I have noted here the multi-sectorial approach. If you look at what the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government did during the COVID-19 time, it brought various Ministries together to have a task force. And if we are dealing with cholera, which we know that is as a result of sanitation and water issues, we would have expected to see more of an approach which is bringing in the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources; and the Ministry of Education. Then, of course, we have Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
We know EPA deals with some approvals and how our environment is taken care of, so we want to see from the Hon Minister for Health a very strong inter-ministerial committee, as was put out by the NPP Government during its time when we had the issue of COVID19. This would be a better approach, and we believe it could help us.
Mr Speaker, in addition, we realised that we have huge private sector health providers, and most people tend to benefit or go to the private sector, about 52 per cent. But how are we incorporating the private sector in our approach in terms of curbing this issue of cholera, meningitis and HMPV? So, we want to also see how best the private sector would be brought in.
Then, maybe this one I want to bring in: we have a huge backlog of health professionals staying at home. As a pharmacist myself, we have a huge backlog of health professionals staying at home, and the majority of them were employed by the just outgone Government. We wanted to see how best we could bring in all these health professionals so we do not get them to stay home.
Each amount of backlog of prior professionals staying at home and majority of them were employed by the immediate past government. We wanted to see how best we can bring in all these health professionals so we do not get them to stay home.
Mr Speaker, especially when this issue is being treated, we tend to have pharmacists or pharmacy technicians that are supposed to help administer these medications. We have a huge backlog of pharmacists who are staying home and have not been brought on and there are processes that the outgone government was bringing on board. So, we want to see if the Minister can also take this issue into consideration.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Sebastian Ngmenenso Sandaare
Daffiama/Bussie/Issa
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity. I was one of those who made a Statement, especially on meningitis, and you gave a directive for the Minister to come before the House. I would say that I am indeed very grateful to the Hon Minister for Health for the swift response and measures taken to control these diseases.
I see the situation as a test case for him, but he has demonstrated the capacity to deliver. I mean, responding to three major infectious diseases within a week is very commendable. So, I thank the Minister for Health and his technical team for the response to cholera, meningitis, and the HMPV.
Mr Speaker, listening to the Minister, there is hope re-emerging. He has demonstrated the standards of practice; international standards, when it comes to response to emergencies like these outbreaks: cholera, meningitis, and the HMPV.
Mr Speaker, what we need, and like he clearly demonstrated, is a multisectoral approach when it comes to outbreaks. Therefore, all the other sectors must come on board and bring their support to ensure that these diseases are controlled. I also want to say thank you to the Rt Hon Speaker for responding to the meningitis outbreak in the Upper West Region with a donation of over GH₵300,000.00 in terms of drugs and logistics. Likewise, the National Lotteries Authority (NLA)— The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Upper West MP's Caucus also responded with support of GH₵10,000.00. To all those who have supported, I want to say that we are grateful. We are especially grateful to the Rt Hon Speaker.
Mr Speaker in conclusion, I want to add my voice to the Minister by saying that there is a need for community engagement and public education. With all these diseases, when the patients report early, the chances of survival is high because treatments are available. But when they report late, then not much can be done to save these lives. So, I encourage all patients, anybody with signs and symptoms of these diseases, whether cholera, meningitis or HMPV, to report early to the nearest health facility for medication.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity. Thanks to the Minister for Health and his technical team, and thanks to the Rt Hon Speaker for coming to the aid of our people.
Hon Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah
Manhyia South
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity given me. Mr Speaker, while commenting on the Hon Minister for Health’s Statement, I want to particularly commend you for being a pillar of encouragement for fresh women and men in this House.
God bless you for that, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, in proceeding, the statistics show that, there is a link between our economic status and the disease called cholera.
Mr Speaker, the statistics by the WHO shows that out of the about 1.3 million to 4 million people that suffer from cholera annually, about 1.3 million of them come from Africa.
Mr Speaker, out of between 21,000 to 143,000 people that die out of cholera annually, about 57 per cent of them come from Africa. So, Mr Speaker, there is a link between development status, very respectfully, and the disease.
Mr Speaker, the learning is that education reduces or increases wealth. Indeed, when we say health is wealth, then, of course, the level of education should have a bearing on disease control and protection.
In that regard, Mr Speaker, I would want to pray that the Hon Minister for Health makes it his objective that during his tenure, we are going to have a robust fight against malaria, cholera, and meningitis. So that, Mr Speaker, we free ourselves from the consequences that come with it annually.
Thank you very much.
Hon Laadi Ayii Ayamba
Pusiga
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by the Minister for Health. I really appreciate his effort in coming fast to respond to the demand for a Statement and give what clarity there is.
Mr Speaker, somewhere last week we extensively discussed the issue of cholera, especially. Today, we have got a lot of in-depth information on cholera and how the Ministry of Health and its associates intend to handle it.
Mr Speaker, I believe that most of us, especially those within the communities and for that matter, the health sector, especially the community health nurses, should be involved in the education about cholera. It is quite a difficult situation. Sometimes, one might think that it is an issue of just talking and then leaving but it needs follow-ups.
Mr Speaker, we should not forget that there is still open defecation in the villages, and this comes with a lot flies, all types of flies. We have the green fly; we have the tsetse fly. All these flies run back into the houses and sit on food. When they do so, it may be eaten without being heated. Children go to ease themselves, come back, and eat without washing their hands. So, we are quite aware of that. I will also suggest to the Minister for Health that, transportation is a very big problem for community health nurses who are supposed to get to the hinterlands. I made this point last week and I would continue to make it. Transportation is a very big problem. How long can they walk and how many houses or communities can they visit in a week, if at all they can get the people to talk to them. So, I would first of all talk about the issue of transportation for our health workers, especially the community health nurses.
Secondly, we should be able to get those we used to call saman-saman in those days. They were the people who would go round as early as possible to see to it that all houses were properly cleaned. They even checked where people put their water and made sure that the pots were clean and that people had good drinking water. We have thrown off all these people and we believe that what we are doing today is the best. We have grown; we have gone digital so we do not care. We can get pipe borne water. We need these people to help us.
I appreciate the fact that—I tried to find out from the Minister about free health care for those with cholera and for communities where there is an outbreak of cholera. He has made it clear to me that places that are affected can have free treatment. This would go a long way. Let us get to the community radios, the radio stations, the various health care centres, and the services to let them understand. This is because most people, as we sit here and talk, might for more than a year now not heard a word from the radio or from any other person educating them on this issue so they do not even know that it is for free. They would not know. They think they do not have money so there is little they can do. They think they will not be able to go to the hospital so they remain there until the inevitable happens, and death comes. Cholera is killing us because there is a lot of ignorance so, I would say let us get communities to give the education.
Meningitis is what he mentioned and it is going to become more serious because during March and April, the sun becomes so hot, especially in the five regions of the North, to the extent that many are not able to sleep in their rooms. While it is hot, there are also mosquitoes so they are compelled to go into the rooms and most of the rooms in our villages do not even have windows. Even if there are windows, they would not be opened because mosquitoes would surely go in. So, I am suggesting that we ensure that every household gets enough of the mosquito nets that used to be given because prevention is better than cure. We should not go to a house and give it to only three or four people and say we saved the house.
Let us also educate them and make them understand that it is dangerous for them to sleep in large numbers inside their rooms. When we are able to do this, it will go a long way to help.
The Minister also made me understand that the treatment for meningitis is free when I asked him. Again, we need the education. We need the message to go. We need our people to understand. We should put ourselves in it. Mr Speaker, with this one, it will help us a lot. I would appreciate and wish to tell or suggest to my Colleagues here that we should not leave this to be a nine-day wonder as we have discussed here but we should take it out there and ensure that we help in the education so that at least our people will be better informed.
I thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Congratulations and bye-bye.
Hon Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah
Takoradi
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for calling me to add my voice to the Statement made by the Minister for Health.
Mr Speaker, I am very happy this issue has come back, full circle to this House.
Mr Speaker, I believe that first and foremost, prevention is always better than cure and I believe that for cholera, it is not the first time that is happening in Ghana; it has been recurring maybe in the last 50 years. It seems to re-occur and re-occur and re-occur. Unfortunately, when it occurs, public officers bear the brunt as if they are the people causing the problem. But from all the speakers and from literature and practice, one would realise that the issue of sanitation is number one.
Mr Speaker, how can we have a country where people build houses without toilets in them? How can we? How can we have people use the washrooms, do not wash their hands and go and eat? How can we get food vendors to prepare food without cooking them well or washing them well and still blame somebody outside the vicinity? So, I believe that it is time we educate our people that prevention is always better than cure. During the COVID-19 period, we did not record any cholera cases because we were practicing safe hygiene, using sanitisers, washing our hands and all that. I believe that we have to bring focus back on that safety hygienic practices again so that Ghanaians understand that cholera can be prevented.
When I was a child, what I realised was that any time mangoes started booming in town, cholera also reared its ugly head. So ever since I was a child, any time there were mangoes in town, I never ate them. I wait for the mango— To prevent cholera and it has worked for me up to today. So, I believe that this business of toilets not being in homes is something that the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs should have to take on seriously.
At least, there should be one toilet to one family. Even if it is a compound house and there are three different families, they should have three different toilets. This is because we all know that public toilets are not safe. We know of emergency cases that could happen in schools or maybe at lorry parks, but in the communities, we should do whatever it takes to make sure that we put toilets in every home. That should be the strategy. Otherwise, we would come back to talk about these things all the time.
The Hon Minister also made mention of the town council people who used to come around when we were children. We called them “tankas”. In fact, in those days, when we were kids, when we heard that the tankas were coming to the area, every household got cleaned up because we knew that we would be charged. Recently, in my region, we introduced what we call the “e-tankas”, where we tried to digitalise the town council programme. We got the environmental officers, in virtually all the district assemblies, to use technology to monitor homes and the rest, and we could see a trend that people were trying to come up to speed. Along the line, they even started using it as propaganda that it is the Regional Minister who has sent people to check their homes. But the fact of the matter is that cleanliness is next to godliness, and I believe that if we are able to do more of these, it will help us to do better.
Mr Speaker, while the Minister was speaking, he was very bold to thank the nurses, and I am very happy, but we have seen a circular also sacking nurses. So, I am wondering if he is using the letter to thank them or he is really thanking them because they have done a yeoman’s job. How can he sack the people he is thanking for getting employment to help the health sector improve and sustain itself?
Mr Speaker, I believe this issue is as simple as ABC. We should continue to preach prevention, show people what they should do when they get it, and attend to the health facilities. This is because it is a fact that those who do not report within the first 24 hours of visible symptoms of cholera, especially those who are dehydrating, die. So, it is always good that they go there as quickly as possible.
We know Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and others can be used, but if one is not careful and does not apply it properly, they would lose a lot of water and dehydrate; to the extent that cholera is sometimes called the “Blue Death”. I believe that reporting as quickly as possible to the health facility is important. And since most people also do not show their symptoms, it is very dangerous; that is why prevention is key to the progress of this disease.
On meningitis, as we all know, it is basically a disease of inflammation of tissues around the brain and it is caused by a lot of different agents. There is medicine for a lot of them, and people should report quickly to the health facilities for check-up and treatment, so that we can save more lives and save this country.
With these few words, Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to add my voice.
Hon Thomas Winsum Anabah
Garu
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity, and I would like to thank the Minister for responding so quickly to the Statement made by Hon Sanja Nanja last week, and for the very elaborate response he has brought to Parliament that is consistent with what is expected of him, as a Minister, and his Ministry.
He elaborated how the Ministry has set up so many steps from a multisectoral approach and coordination, including environmental assessment of areas that are affected; contact tracing to ensure that those who are affected do not disseminate the disease, especially the cholera cases; vaccination, and training of staff. These are all commendable. In fact, I think that we would continue to treat cholera in this country for years and it will never end, unless the right things are done.
If I recollect, on 9th October, 2016, one gentleman in this country made a statement, which I think we have to go back and embrace in order to end cholera and some infectious diseases in this country. The person said, no village will have water and toilet problems in his first two years when we are in Government. I picked it back because I think that is the long-term solution that would end cholera in Ghana. If we check the whole world, cholera is in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. It means that there is something wrong. A serious outbreak of cholera in the United Kingdom (UK) was recorded about 300 years ago; they have not experienced it again.
This is because sanitation is given priority. We have seen so much spent on sanitation in this country; yet, we have typhoid and cholera killing people every year. Let us continue to educate our people and treat the current acute cases. I would call on the multi-sectoral approach the Minister talked of that it should involve medium and long-term measures.
Mr Speaker, just like some of the contributors have said, we must ensure that no one builds a house without a toilet and there should not be a public space without a toilet. No one should sell food that he or she has properly cooked in his or her house and, ironically, sell it on top of a gutter. It shows that even though the food was properly cooked, we are going to eat it with the stench from the gutter which may cause typhoid or cholera. So, district assemblies should play a role in regulating this. As regards to that of the cholera, I think we would never get it stopped if we do not take measures to implement what somebody prophesied in October 2016.
Coming to the meningitis, I know the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Minister have done a good job by providing free care and education to the communities, and that is ongoing and people are reporting. But one thing that is striking is that when I checked current reports, none of the countries in the meningitis belt have suffered from meningitis for the past two years, from Senegal to Ethiopia. In Ghana, the pathogen that normally causes meningitis is not the same this time. It is a different one which does not respond to the vaccine that is used for the one that we know.
It shows there is something wrong, and that is why we need epidemiologists, together with the GHS and the Ministry of Health, to investigate. Could it be that we have abused antibiotics, which is why this particular strain is so virulent and causing more meningitis? Let us research into it because if Burkina Faso, which had the harshest conditions of the Harmattan, this year is not experiencing meningitis, and Senegal, Mali, and Ethiopia are not experiencing it, why should Ghana experience it? Even in Ghana, the Upper East is not experiencing this.
There is something we need to investigate, and I leave that to the Minister for Health and his team to look into it. Let us make sure our epidemiologists and laboratories research into it to see whether we could identify the reason we have repeated meningitis in Ghana every year, while countries in the meningitis belt are free from it. Burkina Faso has used the vaccine that is good for the pneumococcal to work very well for them and they have not experienced meningitis for the past three years. So, let us research into it.
Mr Speaker, I would end here by thanking the Minister for a good job, and I would also like to thank the Speaker of Parliament for his sumptuous contribution to the people in the Upper West Region to help the fight against the meningitis outbreak that has taken about 18 lives over there.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin
Effutu
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity and let me thank the Minister for responding to the call by this House to make a Statement on this important matter affecting our people. The Minister took us through some interventions that the Ministry has made so far, but I just want to point out some few things for his further consideration.
In his Statement, he said that Effutu is topping the infection rate in the Central Region, which is true. However, in terms of vaccination, his submission points to the fact that they are yet to get approval for Effutu. I felt that that should rather be prioritised, because if Agona West is recording just six cases and Effutu has 18 cases and they are rather vaccinating people in Agona West, they may have to look at it instead of the Minister saying that they are now seeking approval to vaccinate people in Effutu.
Mr Speaker, he again talks about the sudden rise of the situation in Winneba since January. It is so, because sometimes when there is change in power, the way our locals react, all public toilets in the Effutu at the Nshona to witseashore have now been seized and locked. Fortunately, the Minister, went to Winneba and met the fisher folks at the Nshona. That is where the problem is. They have no place to ease themselves and it is a problem given the history of this situation, and we know how people contract it. If a party comes into Government and somebody thinks that he or she can lock up a toilet—When there is cholera outbreak, it does not know party colours, whether one is a Convention People’s Party (CPP), New Patriotic Party (NPP) or National Democratic Congress (NDC). So, I believe that is a matter that has to be looked at critically and I am sure that upon that, we would be able to deal with the situation and contain it.
Mr Speaker, the Minister called on local government authorities to support the Ministry. It is true that to enable the Ministry to function well, they need the support of the Local Government institutions, led by political leaders. Fortunately, I have seen Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs. We know that when Prof Mills, of blessed memory, assumed the reins of Government, his policy was for those who were appointed by the former President Kuffour’s Administration to continue until a smooth transition took place. That helped in a seamless governance at the local level, where some new appointments were made and there was a formal handing over. Unfortunately, this time around, the posture or the policy was different. Almost on the second day into the Administration, all appointments were revoked. As we speak, there is no leadership at the local level—
Mr Speaker, the Minister invited us to assist at the local level and he talked about governance at the local level. I need to lay a foundation in respect of the comment. The point is that there is no political leadership at the local government level. I am calling on the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to expedite the process, because all the policies of Government; Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health, the implementation authority, is given to the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs). Everything would end there. Without the MMDCE, Government policy cannot be implemented at the local level, as it is today, we only have the Coordinating Directors acting. They are unable to even call assembly meetings. So, as part of the call by the Minister of Health, I believe that to enable him to roll out these interventions effectively, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs may also have to support by expediting action on the appointment of MMDCEs, so that together they can roll this out. Our people are suffering and without political leadership, it would be difficult.
Mr Speaker, secondly and finally, he also called for support from the healthcare professionals. He, in fact, commended their industry thus far. But the only way we can have adequate support for intervention would be to have sufficient staff levels. As we speak, the Minister is aware that appointments of healthcare professionals are being revoked. He is calling for intervention. He is calling for more healthcare professionals to support. Mr Speaker, I heard Hajia Laadi Ayamba talk about the community health nurses. They are the people who undertake the education at the local level.
We speak here, but many of our people, do not get the information. The basics are always handled by the community health nurses. This is a situation where community health nurses who have been employed have been given termination letters, and this is the very time that the Minister of Health needs their support.
Mr Speaker, let me first make an observation and then comply with your order. Mr Speaker, this is the umpteenth time that I have made this observation that if we are setting a certain precedence, which is anew, I would take note. But I know that there is always a tomorrow in this House.
Mr Speaker, my respected Colleague, whom I listened to in silence, made an intervention, a supposed point of order, and spoke for seven minutes. I quietly checked the time. If there must be silence—[Interruption]—I listened. We are in this Chamber; Members have made their contributions, and I took notes. I would want Hon Akandoh’s Statement to be made available again to him. I took notes. MMDCEs—Hon Akandoh made a call on us that the Local Government authority would have to be up and doing, and he needs the authorities to be in place.
Mr Speaker, all I am saying is that we need to have—The impatience and intolerance must be dealt with, so that we can have a very decent debate. The point I am making is that we need to have the political heads to be in office to assist in the implementation of Government policies, and I am happy that the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is in the Chamber, so that he takes it up and expedites it.
Mr Speaker, the Minority Chief Whip, in his intervention, also made the point that I am on record to have said—
Mr Speaker, well, I slipped. You even called him the “Majority Leader”. You also made a mistake earlier So, no problem. He is the Majority Chief Whip and not the Majority Leader, and neither is he the Minority Chief Whip. I would accord the Chair with respect. Let us treat each other that way. Mr Speaker, he said I am on record to have said I do not need an MCE in Winneba. It is not true. He should quote me and do it right. This is Hansard, so, when he wants to quote me, he should quote me right.
Mr Speaker, on the issue of healthcare professionals, the call by the Minister for Health was for support to the healthcare professionals. When the Hon Laadi Ayii Ayamba contributed, her contention was that we need to have more of these Community Health nurses because they are the people who do the direct interface to educate our people. That was the call made by Hon Ayamba. I add my voice to that call by urging the Minister to ensure that more healthcare professionals are employed.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is aware that termination letters have been issued out to healthcare professionals who have just been employed, and I am making a call on him that, considering the fact that we need more nurses to address this matter, he re-look at the situation.
Mr Speaker, here is a situation where a Member of Parliament for Pusiga is calling on us to engage more community health nurses at the local level to educate our people. She has expressed frustration on the CSM in the north, and I also know that when it comes to preventive healthcare, we need more healthcare professionals. In a situation where the Minister needs such support to roll out Government policy, it is only far right to call on the Hon Minister to ensure that no healthcare professional loses a job, and that the Government ensures expedited steps in employing the backlog of healthcare professionals who have graduated and are at home.
We know the Budget would come in, and it is a call on the Minister for Health to engage the Minister for Finance to make adequate provisions, so that there would be clearance for more nurses and other healthcare professionals to be employed. By this, the situation would be handy because those who have been trained would be there in the communities to support our people. Our people are suffering, and he knows so.
Mr Speaker, on social intervention, I support the call by Hon Ayamba, Member of Parliament for Pusiga, that there should be more social intervention like the mosquito nets she talked about. If we do not get social interventions evenly and fairly distributed to the most vulnerable groups, how would we deal with the situation as the Minister has briefed us on? We need to have a transparent system where the vulnerable in our communities would get the support, and this, I believe, if the Minister is able to do this, there would be relief at the local level.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I want to thank the Hon Minister, who is a very respected Colleague, for acknowledging my contribution in the fight against this menace. Unfortunately, suffice to say that he made a general acknowledgement, but just for the record and for Hansard, I have released a brand-new pickup, which he knows about, and I have also given a cash donation of GH₵100,000, which he acknowledges.
Mr Speaker, I also thank him for making it to Winneba over the weekend. It was a promise he made that he would in Winneba, and he was in Winneba. As much as we are here to critique the Government, when the man does it well too, it is important that he is showing leadership. At least when he was there, those healthcare professionals were inspired, particularly the Director of the Municipal Health Directorate, Dr Paulette Brown. I want to take this opportunity to commend all of them. They have not slept on this matter. They have been disturbing me with it, getting me to reach out to the Minister, and they have been very collective. So far, all the health facilities have been made available.
Mr Speaker, it is important that I point out that of the 21 health centres in Effutu, 17 were constructed by me with my own pocket money. and all these facilities, yes, Mr Speaker, the Papa Kow Damptse CHPS, the Akosua Village Health Centre, Penkye CHPS, Nii Ephraim CHPS, Gyahadze CHPS, the Dr Pra CHPS, George Kwame Quansah health facility and the Samuel Owusu Agyei Health Centre. These are health facilities that I have constructed and furnished and they are providing support to our people.
We will continue to serve the people and rely on the Hon Minister for his support
There is a new children’s hospital coming up at Gyangyanadze. It is a 150- bed children’s hospital and it will be an intervention as both a primary and secondary support facility. I am sure with that cooperation, in future, we would be able to address some of these things adequately. Mr Speaker, I would want to assure the Hon Minister that just as we have been doing in the past, there will be cooperation to enable our people benefit but, he should remember that in terms of support to the health sector, Effutu must get its fair share.
Mr Speaker, without more, I would like to thank you for this treasured space. God bless you
Hon Ahmed Ibrahim
Banda
Thank you Mr Speaker for giving me the opportunity. To begin with, I must take this opportunity to commend the maker of the Statement, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh. In fact, having metamorphosed from the Ranking Member of the Committee on Health to the Minister responsible for Health, he has started on a good note and, I think, everybody admires that.
But, Mr Speaker, it is on record, and as the maker of the Statement has stated, that the cholera outbreak was inherited from the previous administration. Mr Speaker, may I read for you bullet 10 of the Statement. It reads: “Mr Speaker, I must put on record that the current cholera outbreak, began over 5 months ago – in October 2024 in Ada West in the Greater Accra Region.”
Mr Speaker, how can the Minority Leader blame the absence of MMDCEs from post for this? If there is cholera outbreak, it is a health problem. And the Minority Leader is attributing a political problem to a health problem. How can that be? He is giving a political solution for a health problem. Oh Leader! But,
Mr Speaker, to proceed, yes, it is true that Former President, Prof John Evans Atta-Mills, when he took the baton from Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, allowed the MMDCEs to be at post for over five months. That was a good example. But that opportunity too was eroded by his successor. When Former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo took the baton from President John Dramani Mahama, on 13th January, 2017, he issued a directive and all MMDCEs were to vacate post. When they came for the swearing-in ceremony, by the time they returned to their districts they had been vacated from their positions.
Mr Speaker, to proceed, even Former President Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo, when he was succeeding himself, 134 MMDCEs who were perceived to be affiliated to Mr Alan Kyerematen, were sacked. The Minority Leader is aware of this. In the same administration, 134 MMDCEs were sacked so, why does the Minority blame us for this?
Mr Speaker, I wanted to raise a point of order to clear this and you said you would give me the opportunity to state it and that is why I am stating this. That is not the solution. To continue, the Minority Leader who is blaming us is on record to have said that—
The Minority said that he will ensure that no DCE is approved in his constituency. So, what is he saying? He is on record as Minority Leader to have said that he will not allow a DCE to be approved in Effutu. If we do not approve it, how will he get a DCE? Meanwhile there is a cholera outbreak and he knows the DCE will solve it but he is saying that he will not allow them to have a DCE so, he does not want the problem to be solved. Mr Speaker, to proceed—
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I want to use this opportunity to also remind this very House that the disease we are all talking about has no political colours. And therefore, it behoves all of us to make sure that we take appropriate steps to help cure the disease.
Mr Speaker, it is only good to hear from the Hon Minister that the situation is improving, which means the Minister and his Ministry are on course. However, Mr Speaker, there needs to be an interministerial and inter-sectoral approach. Because in terms of sanitation, part falls under the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment and part also falls under the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs. However, on the area of water, that also falls under the Minister for Works and Housing. So, the four of us need to come together. The Minister for Health, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the Minister for Works and Housing, and the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, and the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment. The five of us have a role to play.
Mr Speaker, if we play this well, we can help improve our hygiene, water, and our environment, and we may be able to end up improving the cholera outbreak that we are talking about.
Mr Speaker, I must thank the maker of the Statement and also fall upon this House. The President has promised a National Sanitation Day. The Budget is yet to come and we must budget for it before we can implement it. Mr Speaker, we would bring the District Assembly Common Fund formula before you, when that comes, we must make provision for sanitation and make sure that our sanitation workers are paid. In the Budget too, the sanitary inspector that we are all calling for has also been promised in our manifesto. It would be translated in the Budget. So, when the time for approval comes, we must take all the submissions that have been made on this Floor into approving the Budget. By so doing, Mr Speaker, we may be able to help build Mother Ghana together.
Thank you for the opportunity
Hon Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe
Ada
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to the Statement made by the Minister for Health.
Mr Speaker, it is about time that we speak the truth to ourselves. The whole Statement was about cholera and this year, it started from Ada. If one wants to understand what cholera means—It means somebody has eaten faeces. What brings about all these things is sanitation and whether we keep proper sanitation.
Mr Speaker, just two months ago, there was a whole Ministry for sanitation, and if we look at the budget for that Ministry and, yet, sanitation does not go down to the people, then, I beg to differ that we are not speaking the truth to ourselves. Companies are paid for sanitation, but when we go to our villages and other places, we can see that the containers are there and are full; yet, nobody is taking care of it.
Mr Speaker, those moneys we spend, especially the budget we spend on sanitation, why do we not give it to the chiefs who would take care of the village and the environment? This is because when a chief is assigned to take care of his environment and he is paid for that, he has the people who would do it and would ensure that the whole place would be neat.
Just this Sunday, I visited a village called Kwalakpoyom in my constituency. They had swept everywhere and every corner of the village was clean and neat.
Mr Speaker, if we could encourage them, I think they would do a proper work than what we, who tell our mothers and fathers that we have been educated and we would take care of them, could not do. They would do it for themselves.
Mr Speaker, let us be honest; eating faeces is what brings about cholera. Where do we get it from to eat? From insects, flies, vendors, and the latest one, which we are not watching, the bedroom, because people are now eating faeces there. We should check all those areas because if we are not careful, we will be pointing to the vendors; meanwhile, they are innocent when it comes to those things.
Mr Speaker, let us revisit how we manage sanitation. We have chiefs in every area, so even if we detail them and Government issues an instruction that every chief should make sure his environment is clean, we will get a solution to this problem. We should not deceive ourselves and beat around the bush as if we are working, but we are not.
Mr Speaker, we need to sit down, do proper planning, and work around these issues well, so that we will get the right results. In every electoral area, consisting of villages, there is an assembly member. The assembly members should work with their chiefs, and instead of leaving the budget at the Ministry, at least, a small budget could be allocated to the chief and let us see whether we will get results or not. Also, they have a way of burning their refuse, and they could even use it as manure in their farms.
Mr Speaker, since how we started it is not working, let us change the style now and use our traditional council, chiefs, assembly members, and unit committee members. We have unit committee members who we are not using because we are not giving them small allowances to go about their work in their villages.
Mr Speaker, so, those budgets should go to the unit committee members, the assembly members, and the chiefs, and let us see whether we will not get the proper results.
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Hon Kwame Governs Agbodza
Adaklu
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity. I am not making a contribution to the Statement, though I must commend the Minister and the Hon Colleagues who have contributed.
Mr Speaker, in this House, we have different people with different backgrounds. In this Chamber, Hon Gizella Akushika Tetteh-Agbotui and myself are the only architects in this House. If a Colleague makes a Statement—Of course, if I make a Statement which borders on law and is completely inappropriate, we expect that the lawyers here to correct me.
There is something the respected Minority Leader said; that he is building a 150-bed children’s hospital. Mr Speaker, many people make this mistake. It is not his fault and this is the reason.
Mr Speaker, in our country, by the health planning standards, district hospitals are facilities with beds between 60 to 120. When there are between 120 to 400 beds, it is a regional hospital. The fact that one can fit 100 beds in this Chamber does not make it a district hospital.
So, it is important that when we are making interventions, and, indeed, the interventions of the Minority Leader, in terms of provision of healthcare facilities, is known and Colleagues have done that. For instance, to build a district hospital, even for 60 beds, one is getting close to almost US$19 million and it comes with 20 different departments. When one speaks in Parliament and makes this Statement and we let it go, somebody will hear that MPs are capable of building district hospitals, and ask why the other MP is not able to build it. So, it is important we make this—
Mr Speaker, my point is that it will be good if the Minister for Health, who is one of us, to one day take the opportunity to read out to us what the standards of a Community-Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound, a health facility, a polyclinic, a district hospital, and a regional hospital are. It will guide us, so that when we are making interventions, we would just not say that because we built a space that can take 100 beds, we built a district hospital. It is not as simple as that.
Mr Speaker, that is all the information I wanted to provide.
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