The Oti Regional Minister, Gyampo Kodjo, has described the outbreak of typhoid fever in Dambai, the regional capital, as alarming, citing the absence of a major hospital and poor sanitation as key factors.

“The situation is so bad. As for typhoid in the Oti Region, and especially in Dambai, the capital, it is very, very bad,” Mr. Kodjo lamented.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News with Maame Esi Nyamekye Thompson on Tuesday, August 26, the minister attributed the rising cases to inadequate healthcare facilities and unsanitary conditions along the Oti Lake, which borders the town.

“Unfortunately for us, we don’t have a hospital in Dambai, and that is the major issue. And because of the Oti River, the sanitation in the area looks so bad,” he said.

He added that the problem has affected even him personally:

“We don’t know what it is, whether it is Dambai that is producing the typhoid or whatever, but it is a serious issue, a very, very serious issue. I myself had never suffered from typhoid, but since I became minister and came to Dambai, I have been treated three times already for typhoid.”

His comments follow a report by the Regional Environmental Health Department revealing that over 10,000 cases of typhoid fever have been recorded in the Oti Region since January 2025.

Environmental Health Officer, Cynthia Sekyere, confirmed the figures:

“We have a report from the Oti Regional Health Directorate indicating that a total of 10,233 confirmed cases of typhoid fever were recorded between the first and second quarters of this year.”

The minister has called for urgent intervention to address the region’s healthcare and sanitation challenges to curb the rising infections.