No typhoid deaths recorded in Oti — Health Director
The Oti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Kofi Amo-Kodieh, has refuted claims that the recent typhoid outbreak in the region has led to deaths.
Speaking in a media interview, Dr Amo-Kodieh credited health education campaigns and early treatment interventions for preventing fatalities.
“So far, we have no record of anyone dying from this outbreak. Our health education campaigns have helped people seek care on time, which is crucial in managing typhoid,” he explained.
His clarification follows comments by Oti Regional Minister, John Kwadwo Gyapong, who had alleged that the outbreak claimed the lives of a traditional leader and a former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Dambai.
Dr Amo-Kodieh, however, cautioned against drawing such conclusions without medical verification.
“As a medical professional, when someone dies, I rely on the official medical cause of death. I have not received any information confirming that anyone has died from this outbreak. People may assume a death is caused by typhoid, but the only way to know for sure is through a medical certificate of cause of death,” he said.
The Oti Region has recorded a surge in typhoid infections this year, with 10,233 confirmed cases in just the first half of 2025. Data from the Regional Health Directorate shows 4,417 cases were reported in the first quarter, rising sharply to 5,816 in the second quarter.
Regional Environmental Health Officer, Cynthia Sekyere, described the situation as “alarming,” attributing the outbreak to longstanding sanitation and water safety challenges.
“Poor sanitation, weak waste management systems and limited access to potable water remain the biggest drivers of this outbreak. This is a serious public health concern,” she stressed.
In response, the Oti Regional Coordinating Council (ORCC) has inaugurated a sanitation task force in collaboration with environmental health officers.
The task force will roll out sanitation programmes, strengthen waste disposal systems, improve access to clean water and strictly enforce hygiene bylaws. Officials say offenders who flout sanitation regulations will face prosecution.
So far, while the scale of infections is worrying, health authorities insist no deaths have been medically confirmed.
