Cholera Crisis Grips 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 just the past month, over 250 suspected cases have been recorded, with three confirmed deaths.
“I often buy food from outside after work. I started vomiting and having diarrhea. When I came to the hospital, they diagnosed me with cholera. I am 25 weeks pregnant,” she shared.
A Mother’s Unimaginable Loss
For Eunice Benyi, a mother of three, January 19, 2025, is a day forever etched in her memory. Her sons, Emmanuel and Ebenezer, were full of life—until cholera took them both within 24 hours.
“Both of them had diarrhea, and the little one was vomiting. That night, one of them kept asking to urinate and had severe stomach issues. By morning, my eldest had passed away at home. We rushed the younger one to the hospital unconscious, but the doctors couldn’t find his veins to administer treatment. He didn’t survive either,” she recounted in anguish.
Though her last surviving child has been treated and discharged, she lives in constant fear of losing him too.
Her sister, Yvonne Benyi, is also facing the crisis firsthand. Sharing a compound house with Eunice, she has witnessed five children in their household—including her own—fall ill from cholera.
“My son had diarrhea and was vomiting, so I rushed him to the hospital for treatment,” she said.
Unsafe Water and Poor Sanitation Worsen the Crisis
A 40-minute drive from Swedro, in Agona Nkum, the outbreak continues to tighten its grip. Residents 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,” another resident admitted.
To make matters worse, a massive refuse dump sits dangerously close to the streams, and open defecation is widespread. These unsanitary conditions have turned the community into a cholera hotspot—two people have already died, and more are falling ill by the day.
Health Officials Struggle to Contain the Outbreak
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 acknowledged.
The Deputy Director of Public Health for the Central Region has assured residents that measures are being implemented 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 increased to 46, and 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.
A Community Living in Fear
As the cholera crisis deepens, families in Agona West are mourning lost loved ones while struggling to protect those who remain. With contaminated water sources and poor sanitation fueling the outbreak, the urgent question remains:
How many more lives must be lost before decisive action is taken?