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National Campaign on Sanitation
launched
Nsawam, Sept. 18, Ghanadot/GNA - A national campaign for
improved environmental sanitation has been launched with a
call on Ghanaians to ensure a sound environmental sanitation
for healthy population.
"Our inability to maintain proper environmental sanitation
may pose a potential health risk to the people.
Mr Abraham Dwuma Odoom, a Deputy Minister of Health who
launched the campaign said diseases of sanitation are
diseases of choices due to our actions and inactions on
waste disposal".
The campaign code-named "Tin-Ton-Tan" is an initiation of
Zoomlion Ghana Limited in collaboration with Ministries of
Health, Local Government, Rural Development and Environment
and Manpower, Youth and Employment.
The campaign would also be in the form of public education
in collaboration with regional and district environmental
health officers and other stakeholders to help improve
sanitation conditions in their areas.
He noted that about 80 per cent of diseases reported to
health facilities were preventable but the negative
attitudes of people towards constantly maintaining a clean
and sound environment was lacking.
He noted that sanitation coverage of country was very low
despite the huge investment made by government adding,
"government spends 774 million dollars a year on treatment
of malaria and this money could be use for development".
Mr Odoom said for this reason, the Ministry of Health have
undergone reforms as part of government's response to the
introduction of National Health Insurance Scheme and advised
Ghanaians to eat more fruits and vegetables, do more
exercise, have enough rest and drink more water to stay
healthy.
Mrs Isabella Gyau-Orhin Communications Manager of Zoomlion
said the campaign aimed at preventing diseases through
improved sanitation in hospitals and homes and sensitise
Ghanaians to reject filthy environments and unhealthy
sanitary facilities.
She noted that about 4000 people would be recruited
nationwide as sanitation guards to augment the work of
environmental health officers of various assemblies.
It expected that, at the end of the campaign, all public
health care facilities at national, regional and district
would have a facelift in terms of sanitation as well as
rekindling the spirit of communal labour in Ghanaians to
make them more sensitive to indiscriminate disposal of
waste.
Alhaji Ahmed Yerimeer, Deputy Minister of Local Government
called on all stakeholders to help solve the sanitation
menace and commended Zoomlion for their dynamism and
innovation towards sanitation.
Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Eastern Regional Minister said the
campaign had come at an opportune time, given that
sanitation in he country was getting out of hand, citing
environmental sanitation in most regional capitals such as
Kumasi and Accra.
He reiterated the need for attitudinal change towards
sanitation to stem the tide.
GNA
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