The Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODE) has called for massive education on sanitation issues among the population to drive behavioural change.
The Coalition also called on the assemblies to commit to cleaner societies through proactive systems of dredging, waste collection and disposal, as well as the application of appropriate sanctions on sanitation offenders to safeguard the public health of communities.
Madam Maribel Akuorkor Okine, a Gender Advocate and Mr. Oliver Cromwell, Public Health Consultant as well as Mr. Emmanuel Opoku, Western Regional lead of the DAILY GUIDE mooted these ideas at a radio sensitisation programme as part of a campaign to make sanitation a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for the assemblies.
The programme was supported by the World Vision.
According to Mr. Cromwell, advancing proper sanitation programmes in the assemblies could reduce drastically OPD attendance and save families from disease burdens and its associated costs.
He, therefore, prayed the assemblies to be responsive and spend deliberately on improving cleanliness.
Madam Maribel Akuorkor Okine, the Western Regional Director for the Department of Gender, noted the need for proper planning by prioritising the sanitation needs of both men and women.
She added that there was also the need for an orientation, education and continuous sensitisation on sanitation related issues in the communities, adding, “If we all begin to do our part, we may not need an increased budget but commitment to right behaviours.”
Mr. Emmanuel Opoku stated that the budget allocation to the assemblies should not be a barrier to cleaner societies.
He reminded schools at all levels of their critical roles to shape the minds of children in particular on waste handling to avoid indiscriminate dumping in communities.
“We also need the communal spirit and sense of responsibility as Ghanaians towards the environment; when we preserve it well today, our children and future generations stand to benefit,” he added.
A Daily Guide Report