Cholera crisis in Agona West

Fidelia Alhassan (not her real name) is pregnant and fighting for her life. She is among hundreds affected by a deadly cholera outbreak sweeping through the Agona West Municipality. In the past month alone, over 250 suspected cases have been recorded, with three confirmed deaths.

“I often buy food from outside after work. I started vomiting and had diarrhea as well. When I came to the hospital, they diagnosed me of Cholera. I am 25 weeks pregnant.”

For Eunice Benyi, a mother of 3, January 19, 2025, is a day she will never forget. Her sons, Emmanuel and Ebenezer, were full of life until cholera took them both within 24 hours.

“My children both had diarrhea, and the little one was also vomiting. Just as we were about to sleep, one of them kept asking to urinate and had a severe running stomach. By morning, my eldest had passed away at home. We rushed the little one to the hospital unconscious, but the doctors couldn’t find his veins to administer treatment. He, too, didn’t survive”

Doctors at the Agona Swedro Municipal Hospital confirmed cholera as the cause of death. But Eunice’s nightmare is far from over, her last surviving child has also contracted the disease. Though he has been treated and discharged, she lives in constant fear of losing him too.

Eunice’s sister, Yvonne Benyi, is also living through the crisis. She shares a compound with Eunice, and five children in their household, including her own, have been infected.

“My son had diarrhea and was vomiting, so I quickly rushed him to the government hospital, where he was being treated.”

A 40-minute drive from Swedro, in Agona West, is Agona Nkum, a community where the outbreak is tightening its grip. The residents here rely on untreated stream water for drinking, cooking, and bathing, making them highly vulnerable to cholera.

“We drink this water. My parents use it for cooking and even take some to the farm to quench their thirst”

“We use this for bathing, drinking, and washing.”

Adding to the danger, a massive heap of refuse sits dangerously close to the streams, while open defecation is widespread. These unsanitary conditions create the perfect breeding ground for cholera, and the community is paying the price—two people have already died, and more are falling ill by the day.

Mark Dzodzodzi, an Environmental Health Officer and member of the Ghana Health Service’s (GHS) rapid response team, has been working tirelessly to contain the outbreak.

“We are doing everything possible to control the spread, but sanitation remains a major challenge,” he says.

The Deputy Director of Public Health for the Central Region has also assured residents that measures are being put in place to combat the disease.

As of December 26, 2024, the cholera outbreak in parts of Ghana had claimed 37 lives, with confirmed cases rising from 346 to 359. The number of affected districts has also increased, now standing at 46.

New cases have emerged in Agona East and La Nkwantanang Madina in the Greater Accra Region. While hospitalizations have slightly decreased—from 64 to 46—the Western Region remains the hardest hit, with 37 people currently receiving treatment.

As the cholera crisis deepens, families in Agona West are living in fear, grieving lost loved ones while struggling to protect those who remain. With contaminated water sources and poor sanitation fueling the outbreak, the question remains, how many more lives will be lost before urgent action is taken?

The post Cholera crisis in Agona West first appeared on 3News.

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