The Volta Regional Health Directorate is expressing concern over the potential outbreak of waterborne diseases in the aftermath of the flooding incident in certain districts of the Volta Region.
This concern arises from the inundation of numerous latrines and open sanitation facilities with floodwater due to the Akosombo Dam spillage.
In response to the situation, Stella Kumedzro, the Volta Regional Environmental Health Officer, has emphasized the importance of providing safe drinking water to the affected communities and has made an appeal to the authorities for this purpose.
“Most of the people I saw still use that surface water for cooking, bathing, and other household chores. So the implications for public health are that it will trigger water-related diseases, skin rashes, diarrhea, typhoid, and so on. And so it is a very terrible situation at hand. I want to appeal to all well-meaning Ghanaians, our wonderful development partners, to come to the aid of residents of Mepe in the North Tongu district,” she said.
The North Tongu District Health Director, Michael Kofi Zigah, has additionally highlighted that the flooding incident is adversely impacting healthcare delivery in the district.
“Currently, a lot of communities have been displaced in the district. Once communities are displaced, they will not have access to the regular facilities they used to have access to. They will not have access to portable water, sanitary facilities, and routine health services,” he said.
“Because it is more or less like a campout. And that is affecting service delivery and the health of the people. But the fortunate thing is that as a district, we managed to operationalize a mobile clinic here,” he added.