January 20

Steps for coping with harmattan
• Take lots of water
Because of the dryness experienced
and the hotness of the
day, the body loses a lot of water.
Taking a lot of water keeps your
throat and mouth moistened.
• Step up your
nutrition
Take nutritional supplements
like Vitamin C
• Stay warm
Wear protective clothing during
the day and at night. Asthmatics
or those with chronic
respiratory conditions should pay
special attention to their health.
• Step up your hygiene
Sneeze into your arms, not
hands, by preventing the spread
of viruses and other infectious
agents to and from people.
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
&Env.
Polio outbreak was due to poor
sanitation practices - GHS
THE GHANA
Health Service
(GHS) has attributed
the resurfaced
polio virus
outbreak reported
in parts of the country in 2019
to poor sanitation practices in
most of the affected communities.
It therefore called on Metropolitan,
Municipal and District
Assemblies (MMDAs) to reevaluate
their sanitation programmes
to help promote
environmental cleanliness to
forestall any future outbreak.
Dr. John Ekow Otoo, the
Deputy Director, Public Health
at the Bono, Bono East and
Ahafo Regional Directorate of
Health, said the responsibility
was placed on the MMDAs to
ensure that people lived in clean
environment.
Speaking in an interview with
the GNA in Sunyani on the recent
outbreak of polio virus in
parts of the country, Dr. Otoo
said poor sanitation contributed
largely to the outbreak of the
virus in the Bono, Bono East
and Ahafo regions.
Last year, the GHS reported
several cases from Chereponi, in
the North East Region, Kumbungu,
and Savelugu in the
Northern Region, Central
Gonja in the newly-created Savanna
Region, and Nkwanta
North in the newly-created Oti
Region.
In the Bono, Bono East and
Ahafo regions, two of three
children who were infected died
whilst the other victim survived
with some level of paralysis.
Cases were reported from Asiri
community in the Jaman North
District of the Bono, Sissalaline
in the Techiman Municipality of
Bono East, and Kwasuso community
in the Asutifi South District
of the Ahafo Region,
where a 24-month-old girl, a 33-
month-old-girl and a 37-month
old boy were infected.
But, the Regional Directorate,
with support from
its partners, held a supplementary
vaccination
exercise to protect
children against the
poliomyelitis in the
three regions.
Dr. Otoo told
the GNA the Directorate
was able
to exceed its target
during the four-day
campaign, which
started from January 7
to 11, this year. He said
instead of 570,864 targeted
children below five years in
•Kweku Agyeman Manu, Minister of Health
the three regions, the campaign
covered 577,604 children, and
expressed appreciation for the
support
and cooperation parents
gave to the field officers.
In a breakdown, he said
119,866 children were vaccinated
in Ahafo, 235,422 in
Bono and 222,316 in Bono
East, saying for the children
to get full benefit, a second
round exercise
would be organised
from February 5 to 8,
this year and advised
parents to make their
children available for
the second dose.
Dr. Otoo commended
the media for
their support, and
called on them to intensify
education on the
next campaign to achieve
desirable success.
Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious
viral disease, which
mainly affects young children.
The virus is transmitted by person
to person and spread mainly
through the faecal-oral route or
less frequently, by a common
vehicle such as contaminated
food and water and multiplies in
the intestines from where it can
invade the nervous system and
cause paralysis.
Initial symptoms of polio
include fever, fatigue, headache,
vomiting, and stiffness in the
neck and pain in the limbs.
There is no cure for polio.
Last year, the
GHS reported
several cases
from Chereponi,
in the North East
Region, Kumbungu,
and
Savelugu in the
Northern Region,
Central Gonja in
the newly-created
Savanna
Region, and
Nkwanta North
in the newly-created
Oti Region.