National Campaign on Sanitation launched

Nsawam, Sept. 18, 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. 18 09 08