Traders schooled on cholera

Akim Oda (E/R), June 18, GNA - The Young and Lonely Foundation, Ghana (YLF), a non-governmental organisation based at Agona Swedru, has held a day's seminar on cholera prevention for about 40 traders at Akim Oda in the Birim Central Municipality. The participants comprising market women and porters were expected to convey messages on techniques for the elimination of cholera conditions to their colleagues in the local market and other trading posts. Speaking at the function, Mr Gilbert Kofi Germain, Executive Director of YLF urged traders to keep their market stalls and surroundings clean at all times to guarantee good health. He appealed to the participants to lend their support to cleanup programmes organised to clear filth, which led to the outbreak of cholera.

Mr Germain asked them to strive to keep healthy habits, since they were the vulnerable group, as far as cholera and other health issues were concerned. He advised them to clean the utensils they use in handling food and to refrain from buying iced-water from vendors, who did not maintain high standards of hygiene. They should also desist from the practice of arranging vegetables and other food items on the bare ground for sale. Mr Germain advised the traders and porters against the habit of giving their children polythene bags to defecate into and later place them under their tables or containers, while others threw the 93stuff" into gutters and open fields around. According to the Executive Director, his outfit intends to train significant numbers of volunteers to act as health educators on cholera prevention.

He asked the participants to promptly relay information on the outbreak of the disease to the health authorities for immediate attention. 18 June 11