Conference abstract
Analysis of cholera outbreak data in the Atebubu-Amanten district, November 2016
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2017:3(4).11
Oct 2017.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2017.3.4.112
Archived on: 11 Oct 2017
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Case-fatality rate, sanitation, cholera outbreak
Oral presentation
Analysis of cholera outbreak data in the Atebubu-Amanten district, November 2016
Collins Adu Amankwaa1,2,&, Samuel Oko Sackey1, George Khumalo Kuma1, David Afrifia1, Yaw Mensah1
1Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ghana, 2Ghana Health Service, Ghana
&Corresponding author
Collins Adu Amankwah, Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ghana Health Service, Atebubu, Ghana
Introduction: an estimated 4 million cholera cases are recorded worldwide with 3.5% CFR annually. Ghana recorded 28,975 cholera cases with CFR of 0.8% in 2014. Atebubu-Amanten District was also affected in this outbreak. However, the data had not been analyzed to determine its magnitude and distribution. We analyzed the outbreak data to describe the trend, distribution and people most affected to provide information for targeted interventions to prevent and or manage future cholera outbreaks in Atebubu-Amanten.
Methods: we conducted a secondary data analysis from the line list and case-based forms compiled during the 2014 cholera outbreak. We reviewed sanitation reports during the outbreak from the District Health Directorate (DHD). Data was analyzed using MS Excel 2010. We performed univariate data analysis to determine means, distribution of cases by age, sex, community of occurrence and fatality rate.
Results: the outbreak started from 22/08/2014 to 04/11/2014 representing epidemiological weeks 32 to 51. A total of 269 cases were recorded with a CFR of 3.3%. The Mean age of cases was 28.0 years. The highest number of cases (56) and deaths (4) were recorded in epidemiological weeks 41 and 36 respectively. Most of these cases were within age group 20-29 years 76(28.3%) or from Zongo No. 2 community 69(25.3%) in the Atebubu sub-district.
Conclusion: the 2014 cholera outbreak in Ghana, also affected Atebubu-Amanten District. The observed CFR was high. Poor sanitation and poor drinking water sources were probably responsible for the high number of cases in Zongo No. 2 community of Atebubu-Amanten district. We recommended that the DHD and the District Assembly should intensify education on personal hygiene and provide suitable sanitation and potable water for the communities in Atebubu-Amanten District.
