Health experts are warning of a possible outbreak of waterborne diseases following the ongoing spillage of the Akosombo Dam.
According to the Volta Regional Health Directorate, the terrible situation demands urgent attention.
The Volta Regional Environmental Health Officer, Stella Kumedzro speaking in a media interview appealed to well-meaning Ghanaians to help ameliorate the danger.
“Most of the people I saw still use that surface water for cooking, bathing, and other household chores. So the implications for public health are that it will trigger water-related diseases, skin rashes, diarrhoea, typhoid, and so on. And so it is a very terrible situation at hand.”
“I want to appeal to all well-meaning Ghanaians, our wonderful development partners, to come to the aid of residents of Mepe in the North Tongu district,” she said.
Also speaking to the media, the North Tongu District Health Director, Michael Kofi Zigah, also disclosed that the flooding incident is affecting healthcare delivery in the district.
According to him, they do not have access to portable for their routine health services.
“Currently, a lot of communities have been displaced in the district. Once communities are displaced, they will not have access to the regular facilities they used to have access to. They will not have access to portable water, sanitary facilities, and routine health services,” he said.
“Because it is more or less like a campout. And that is affecting service delivery and the health of the people. But the fortunate thing is that as a district, we managed to operationalise a mobile clinic here,” he added.
On September 15, 2023, the Volta River Authority started a controlled spill from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.
This was due to the heavy rainfall in the Volta River catchment, resulting in a fast rise in the water level at Akosombo Dam.
The spill was, therefore, necessary to prevent the overtopping of the dam and to protect the dam’s integrity.
However, by the beginning of October, the water level was still rising rapidly, exceeding the maximum operating level of 276 feet.
Following persistent rains and a continued rise in the water level, VRA increased the spill rate from October 9, 2023.
This resulted in increased flooding in a number of communities in the North, South and Central Tongu Districts, as well as Ada East District.
