Ghana must strengthen sanitation to prevent polio outbreak



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Health News on Friday, July 19, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-07-19

Poliofile Photo file

Investigators working in the field looking for the source of the polio virus in Tamale called for an immediate improvement in environmental sanitation and personal hygiene in the affected area and in all the countries.

Dr. Bedu Sarkodie, director of the Public Health Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), told the Ghana news agency in Accra Thursday that although investigators have not been able to identify the direct source of viral infection in this environment, gaps observed in the health conditions of the region.

Last week's GHS declared a public health emergency following the detection of the type 2 polio virus in the capital of the northern region, Tamale.

Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease caused by poliovirus. In about 0.5% of cases, there is muscle weakness resulting in an inability to move that can last from a few hours to a few days.

Dr. Sarkodie badured the public that the service was working diligently to prevent the spread of the virus from the environment to Tamale to humans.

He added that, during investigations, the service had established that the immune status was sufficient for people living in the affected area.

"This is rebaduring for us because polio immunization coverage in the country has been very good over the years and Ghana was very close to the stage of polio eradication," said Dr. Sarkodie.

Commenting on cholera infections in the country, he said the central region had recorded a case of cholera in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem (KEEA) municipal district in the central region since the beginning of the year.

The GHS has urged the public to regularly wash their hands with soap under running water and to avoid open defecation as part of efforts to prevent the spread of these viruses from the body. environment to the man.

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