Urgent Call for Vaccines Amid Oti Typhoid Surge
The Dean of Oti MMDCEs, Prosper Addo, is calling for immediate action. An Oti typhoid surge has more than doubled the region’s confirmed cases. Mr. Addo’s appeal follows a sharp rise in confirmed typhoid cases. The Oti Region recorded over 22,261 cases by August 2025. This alarming figure represents a significant increase from the 10,233 cases in the first quarter. Poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water are the main causes.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Wednesday, August 27, Mr. Addo partly attributed the crisis to the lack of potable water. He further underscored the need for the Ministry to post more medical staff and deploy public health experts to the region. He warned that unless swift action is taken, the region risks an even greater public health disaster. Without urgent intervention, for instance, local health facilities could soon face an overwhelming number of cases. This would result in more casualties and fatalities. The annual spillage of the Bagre dam has also begun. This brings floodwaters to the region’s main rivers. Many people rely on these same rivers for their daily needs. This puts them in direct contact with the contaminated water. Therefore, the threat of an even larger Oti typhoid surge is very real.
“We are calling on the Ministry of Health,” Mr. Addo stated. He urged them to resource the various CHPS compounds, clinics, and hospitals within their jurisdiction with typhoid vaccines. People can then receive the vaccines. “If nothing is done, next year around this time, the figures will be alarming because the Bagre dam is spilling water and the water is coming,” he warned. “It is the same water that the people are living on. Some people have it now, and some other people will be coming into contact with it. They should get us experts who will be manning these health facilities. As early as possible, they should bring us the vaccines,” he said. The Oti Regional MMDCEs Dean is working to prevent the situation from worsening. He wants a quick response to the crisis. Otherwise, the region’s people will face an even bigger health problem.
Source: Juliana Odame Asare for CitiNewsroom, August 27, 2025
