Ministry empowers district assemblies to improve sanitation

Nkoranza (B/A) Feb. 10, GNA - The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment has launched a health promotion programme dubbed, "Community Led Total Sanitation" with the objective of empowering rural communities to lead in the provision of latrines to enhance their health status. The programme started as a pilot project in Northern region about two years ago.

Mr. Daniel Agyarko, Nkoranza South District Environmental Health Division Officer, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nkoranza that the programme had been extended to other areas in the Brong-Ahafo and Eastern regions so to sensitize the people to promote environmental sanitation in the communities. He said a capacity training workshop had been organised for some selected environmental health division officers from the two regions so that they would be able to interact with the people for them to know their sanitation problems and map out strategies to address them. Mr. Agyarko expressed concern about how some people defecated openly and along river banks and said the programme would enable the people to know the effects of those practices and put an end to them. He disclosed his outfit had detailed some officers to some communities to share ideas with the people towards effective implementation of the programme.

Mr. Agyarko mentioned some of the beneficiary communities as Asuoso, Kyerefene, Nyamebekyere, Babiani and Kutu and called on the opinion leaders of such communities to educate their people on the need to live in healthy environments. He stressed the need for the chiefs and assembly members to encourage their people to form task forces to check the activities of unscrupulous people who defecated in unauthorised places.