Ghana, UNICEF intensify cholera education
Ghana’s Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and UNICEF have intensified sanitary education within some cholera pandemic communities in the Greater Accra Region.
The communities are in the Ga Central Municipality, Ablekuma Central, South and North Sub-Metropolitan areas, Ayawaso East, Central and West Sub-Metropolitans, which are still battling with the re-occurrence of cholera cases.
The programme is to sensitise groups, such as mother’s clubs, water vendors and sachet producers, as well as food vendors, public toilet operators and their managers and market women on the need to handle their activities in hygienic manner.
Mr Ariston Aryee, Municipal Chief Executive for Ga Central Municipal Assembly made this known at the launch of a sensitization programme at Sowutuom in the Greater Accra Region on strategies to curb the spread of the disease.
He said effective sustainable awareness such as house-to-house campaigns as well as the promotion of hygiene among the people were important and urged the people to take advantage of the programme to improve personal hygiene.
Mr Aryee appealed to the communities benefitting from the cholera education to be more proactive to the current unhealthy practices associated with indiscriminate defecating and dumping of refuse into drains.
He acknowledged the contribution of the government and its partners, especially UNICEF for their support to the assemblies to enhance sanitation and environmental hygiene.
Mr Jonas Amanu, Greater Accra Environmental Health Officer cautioned that even though there was a reduction in the number of people infected by cholera last year; “we cannot be complacent about it as it can come back and spread faster.”
He said hygiene education was about helping people to understand what causes some of their health problems and what preventive measures could be possible, adding that, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies must have strong commitment, effective and sustained hygiene education to change the behaviours of the people.
Mr Kwame Asare-Obeng, Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) of the Ga Central Municipal Assembly called for vigorous education to eliminate cholera in the society, adding; “cholera is becoming an epidemic in some parts of the country hence the need to devise strategies aimed at addressing it and create more awareness on good hygiene.
Source: GNA