Members of the Council of State have expressed concerns over a possible cholera outbreak in parts of Accra following the devastating June 29 floods, citing poor sanitation and the presence of an illegal dumpsite within the Weija Ramsar area.
The concerns were raised during a joint assessment tour of flood-affected communities, including Alajo, Avenor, Mallam, Adabraka and Circle, by the Council and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
Beyond the floodwaters that besieged homes and displaced residents, the delegation described the accumulation of refuse at the Ramsar site reserved as a buffer zone for the Densu Rivers as a looming public health threat.
Although authorities from the Weija-Gbawe municipality say they have barred refuse trucks from accessing the site, heaps of waste remain accumulated, with flies hovering over the dumpsite and nearby communities, raising fears of disease outbreaks, particularly cholera.
Chairman of the Council of State’s Economic and Social Development Committee, His Royal Majesty Drolor Bosso Adamtey, said immediate steps must be taken to clear the waste to avert a health crisis.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for Weija-Gbawe, Felix Odartey Lamptey, confirmed that the assembly has shut down the dumpsite to prevent further dumping of refuse.
He also dismissed allegations that the assembly collected tolls from waste collectors using the site.
During a stop at the Ayawaso Central Municipality, where residents have begun cleaning their homes and shops following the floods, Municipal Chief Executive Rudolph Collingwoode-Williams said no cholera cases have been recorded.
He, however, assured residents that the assembly, together with health authorities, is implementing preventive measures to ensure no outbreak occurs in the municipality.
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