ACCRA, Sept 23 (The African Portal) – Public health facilities across Ghana record an average of at least 20 poisoning or poison-exposure cases every month, health officials say.
The incidents include accidental ingestion, mostly among children, drug overdoses, consumption of household chemicals such as bleach, and exposure to pesticides.
The Head of the Ghana Poison Control Centre at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Caesar Nyadedzor, disclosed the figures in an interview.
Emergency helpline
He urged the public to call the centre’s 24-hour emergency number whenever someone is exposed to a potentially harmful substance.
“When people call us, depending on what we think they are exposed to, the signs and symptoms that they are having, we can assess to see whether it’s a case which is mild or moderate or severe.
“If it’s a case that will cause an irreversible harm, then we work out our assessment and advise as to what you should do,” he explained.
Common cases
According to Nyadedzor, poisoning among adolescents and adults often arises from intentional ingestion, occupational exposure, or criminal activity.
He described poisoning as a “source of concern”, warning that many products circulating in the country could act as poisons.
He added that while poison-related cases are fewer than infectious disease cases, they pose significant challenges to both victims and medical professionals.
“Poisoning always creates a challenge,” he said. “It can pull a huge number of health personnel to just a single case when many other patients are waiting to be attended to.”
Consequences
Nyadedzor said some poisonings cause irreversible harm, including death, depending on the organs affected.
“In the case of the reversible ones, doctors are able to reverse the symptoms to the point where the person could have full recovery without any effect,” he explained.
“For the irreversible damage, it could lead to death, and if the victim survived, depending on the organ damaged by the poison, they would have to be on a therapy for the rest of their lives.
“Some poison can affect the kidneys, and when the kidney is damaged, depending on the level of the damage, one may just have to go through things like dialysis for the rest of their lives,” he added.
Food poisoning concerns in Africa
Food poisoning is also a significant and often silent public health threat in Africa, with the continent bearing the highest global burden of foodborne outbreaks. Experts say weak food safety infrastructure, poor hygiene, contaminated water supplies, fragile regulatory systems, and climatic pressures all contribute to high levels of illness linked to contaminated food and drink.
A 2023 article by SciDev.Net, titled “In West Africa, food poisoning is silently on the prowl”, noted: “Largely underreported and rarely talked about, food poisoning may well be a silent killer that many are yet to pay attention to, especially in West Africa.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that foodborne diseases are responsible for around 420,000 deaths globally each year. Children under the age of five account for 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with the greatest toll in low- and middle-income countries.
Toxins such as pesticides and poor food hygiene practices are among the key drivers. This appears to have been the case in the village of Boni in northern Ghana, which was struck by suspected food poisoning in June 2023.
Reducing poison risks
Nyadedzor said the centre is working to raise public awareness—currently described as “low”—and is building the capacity of health workers to better respond to poisoning cases.
The Poison Control Centre also collaborates with regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drugs Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency, helping to inform the public and regulate the import and licensing of chemicals into the country.
This article was written with additional files from Graphic Online.
