Four days after Monday’s devastating floods, the Chairman of the Ghana Association of Public Health and Technical Officers, Joseph Owusu Asante, has warned that flood-affected communities in Accra face serious public health threats, including outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, malaria and other diseases.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Thursday, July 2, Mr Owusu Asante said the aftermath of the floods has left behind extensive contamination in homes and communities, creating conditions that could fuel the spread of disease.

According to him, one of the biggest concerns is the level of contamination caused by the floodwaters, which have mixed with waste and other harmful substances in affected areas.

“Coming out after this flood, I think the biggest problem facing us is the huge levels of contamination that have happened in communities and homes. The flood has mixed a lot of things around us, and that exposes us to a lot of disease-causing organisms we call pathogens,” he noted.

Mr Owusu Asante further warned that the flooding had also compromised the domestic environment, leaving many people vulnerable to illness.

He said the damp and cold conditions in affected homes could weaken immunity, especially among children and other vulnerable groups, making it easier for people to fall sick.

He identified some likely post-flood disease threats, including waterborne, water-based and water-related diseases. These, he said, include cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and E, schistosomiasis, malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever.

To reduce the risk of outbreaks, Mr Owusu Asante urged the public to adopt strict hygiene measures immediately, saying lessons from the COVID-19 era must be revived.

“One of the things we want to put everybody on alert is that immediately we have to observe a high level of hygiene,” he stressed.

“The COVID days, what I call the COVID dividend, must be revisited. Can we have handwashing systems at public places, at household levels, and throughout our lives, such that we can reduce contacts or block the transmission of the pathogens within our environment?” he asked.

Beyond hygiene, the public health expert also advised residents in affected communities to keep food hot before consumption and to ensure children are kept warm, especially in cold, damp conditions.

He explained that heating food properly could help kill harmful pathogens, while keeping the body warm could support immunity and reduce susceptibility to illness.

His warning comes as parts of the capital continue to grapple with the aftermath of Monday’s heavy floods, which left several communities inundated and raised concerns over sanitation and disease outbreaks.