AMA launches new strategy to ensure good sanitation
Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, has called for support to strengthen the capacity of the Environmental Health Officers to ensure effective monitoring.
He said inadequate logistics had been a major constraint to the health officers of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) for efficient monitoring and the enforcement of the sanitation bye-laws.
Mr Adjei Sowah made the call when he launched the “Snipper Model,” a new strategic method to enforce good environmental sanitation in Accra.
He said the model was to deploy the environmental health officers at the sub-metros of the Assembly into the communities as part of activities to bring back the “Saman Saman’’ or “Tankase” to inspect markets, residential premises, food and business joints, chop-bars, restaurants and public places of convenience to ensure cleanliness.
Mr Adjei Sowah said the successful implementation of the strategy would help change attitudes and urged the health officers to strictly abide by the rules and regulations in enforcing the laws.
He said the method would help prevent exposure of chemicals and biological agents into the air and provide safe environmental condition for the people for good health.
Mr Victor Acquaye, the Metro Public Health Director of the AMA, who took participants through the Model, urged the health officers to enforce effective food management standards to ensure food vendors sell food that is safe and hygienic to the public.
“It is the responsibility of environmental health officers to ensure that food meant for consumption is not contaminated,” he said.
Mr Acquaye said World Health Organisation reports indicate that most illnesses were from the consumption of unwholesome foods, which was a widespread health problem.
He urged the health officers to look critically at the preparation stages of food from the farm gate to the consumer.
Source: GNA