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Food safety: 251 food handlers diagnosed with health conditions
A total of 251 food handlers in the Upper West Region have been diagnosed with health conditions that render them unfit to handle food, raising public health and food safety concerns in the region.
A regional sanitation situation report revealed that the figure emerged from health screenings conducted on food handlers in 2025 and 2026.
Mr Agambire Alhassan Inusah, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Upper West Regional Environmental Health and Sanitation Department (EHSD), presented the report at the second quarter meeting of the Upper West Regional Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on Sanitation (RICCS) in Wa.
According to the report, 538 food handlers were screened in 2025, while 1,208 were screened between January and May 2026.
Mr Inusah said the affected individuals were referred to health facilities for treatment.
He added that the department had intensified food safety and sanitation interventions across the region, including inspections of food and drink vendors and prosecution of sanitation offenders.
A total of 3,425 premises were inspected in 2025, while 4,821 premises were inspected between January and May 2026.
Inspections of food and drink establishments also increased from 742 in 2025 to 891 within the first five months of 2026.
On meat safety, Mr Inusah said 3,928 animals slaughtered during the review period were inspected by the department in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Veterinary Services Department.
Out of these, 3,873 carcasses were certified fit for human consumption, while four were totally condemned and 51 partially condemned due to health concerns.
On the Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign, he noted that three communities attained ODF status in 2025, comprising two in the Lambussie District and one in the Sissala West District.
He added that 15 communities achieved ODF status between January and May 2026, including nine in the Nandom District and six in the Lambussie District.
On enforcement, he stated that the Wa Municipal Assembly prosecuted four sanitation-related cases during the period and imposed fines on offenders as part of efforts to improve environmental sanitation.
Mr Inusah, however, noted that despite the commitment of environmental health officers, inadequate staff capacity remained a major challenge affecting service delivery.
Reacting to the report on food vendor screenings, the Upper West Regional Director of the EHSD, Madam Freda Naatu, said it had in some instances been difficult to stop affected persons from continuing to handle food.
She announced plans to introduce sanitation league tables for schools and zonal councils to assess performance, reward high-performing institutions, and “name and shame” underperforming ones. –GNA
A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
