The Oti Regional Minister, John Kwadwo Gyapong, has revealed that the surge in typhoid cases in the region has claimed the lives of key figures, including a traditional leader and a former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Dambai.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Tuesday, August 26, Mr Gyapong described the situation in the regional capital as “bad” and “scary,” warning that the disease is spreading rapidly and taking lives.

“Just to even mention what happened to us yesterday, (Monday, August 25), one of our chiefs, Asafoatse of Dambai Traditional Council, we lost him because of typhoid. So many people have lost their lives. As for politicians, most of them even died. The former Chief Executive of Dambai died out of typhoid,” he disclosed.

His revelation comes on the back of a Public Health Department report indicating that 10,233 typhoid cases have been recorded in the Oti Region since January 2025.

Mr Gyapong blamed the crisis on the absence of a hospital in the regional capital and poor sanitation practices, particularly along the Oti Lake.

Health officials say two out of every twenty residents in the region have been affected by the disease, prompting calls for urgent intervention to improve sanitation and healthcare access.