[ 2014-09-30 ]

USAID Partners With Government Of Ghana for Cholera fight
USAID Partners With Government Of Ghana To Control
And Eliminate Cholera In Eight Regions

As of September 21, 2014, the Ghanaian Ministry of
Health has reported 16,613 cumulative cases of
cholera and 130 deaths from 9 of the 10 regions of
Ghana.

The U.S. Government is committed to strengthening
the Ghanaian healthcare system to prevent and
contain future outbreaks and treat those who
become ill. In line with the Ministry of Health's
desire to integrate cholera prevention and
treatment into overall health programming, the
U.S. Government is working more broadly on the
prevention and treatment of all causes of
diarrheal diseases. To reduce vulnerability to
cholera and other diarrheal diseases, the U.S.
Government through the Agency for International
Development (USAID) is supporting Government of
Ghana efforts to improve access to treated
drinking water at the community and household
levels in urban and rural communities.

USAID donated 768,000 tablets of Aquatabs to the
Ghana Health Service, which are being distributed
through health facilities including Community
Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) in the
"hot spots" of the cholera epidemic in the eight
regions. These tablets will purify over 15 million
litres of water.

This support demonstrates the U.S. Government's
continuous collaboration and support of the
Government of Ghana and their objectives in the
area of health, nutrition, water, and sanitation.
Additional support includes:

• Supporting cholera prevention and treatment
efforts through social marketing and distribution
of drinking water purification products, oral
rehydration salts, and soap for washing hands and
household items.

• Working side-by-side with the Ministry of
Health, Metropolitan, Municipal and District
Assemblies (MMDAs) and other partners to establish
a national system for tracking cases of cholera,
responding to cholera outbreaks, and routinely
testing suspected cases of cholera at the National
Public Health Laboratory.

• Supporting treatment for cholera and other
diarrheal diseases at public and non-governmental
organization health facilities nationwide at the
height of the epidemic.

• Providing technical assistance and support to
the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and
Housing, Ministry of Local Government and Rural
Development and MMDAs to improve its capacity to
provide clean water, sanitation, and improved
hygiene.

• Providing training for over 240 community
health workers and volunteers who are deployed in
8 regions, where they promote community water
system operations, disinfection and distribution
of Aquatabs.

• Developing cholera education materials to
train more than 240 community health workers and
volunteers to conduct outreach activities on
cholera prevention and treatment.

• Improving access to clean water in communities
by providing support to drill new wells,
rehabilitate broken wells, and promote safe
household water practices and the campaign on
"Open Defecation Free" (ODF) through facilitation
for the construction of sanitation facilities.

Source - US Embassy, Accra-Ghana

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