The Northern regional Minister Hon. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu has launched an operation code named “Clean Northern Region” to combat the sanitation menace within the Northern region.
The aim is to eliminate filth in the region, promote good sanitation and hygiene and to improve good health to enable people within the region undergo their daily business without environmental health threats.
Speaking at the media launch at the RCC in Tamale, the Minister revealed that available data from the Ghana Health Service shows that top ailments across the health facilities in the region relates mostly to unhygienic conditions in the various communities.
“Even though we have made good progress in dealing with open defecation, coming from 21.5% in 2016 to 61.4% in 2020 and, 62.6% for 2021 in CLTS situation in the region, it is sad to note that, available data from the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit indicates worrying trends in Open Defecation in our communities”, the Minister added.
Hon. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu also lamented that the situation of Open Defecation is worst within the Tamale Metropolis and surrounding major towns such as Sagnarigu, Savelugu, Kumbungu and Tolon as compared to far districts such as, Yendi, Kpandai and Tatale.
The regional Minister also indicated that Saturday, 29th May, 2021 and all other last Saturday of every mouth has been set as the Northern Regional Sanitation Day and urged all MMDAs tocollaborate with Zoomlion to embark on clean-up exercises in all major communities in all district across the region.
He called on Chiefs, Religious Leaders, Market women and other opinion Leaders to support the “Clean Northern Region” campaign to ensure its success and help curtail the outbreak of diseases most especially, cholera, typhoid fevers and malaria.
“I again want to use this opportunity to call on all groups such as the GPRTU to also support this exercise by halting the movement of all vehicles on the 29th May, 2021 and subsequent sanitation days till 12 noon to ensure the success of the campaign” the Minister stated.
Hon. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu also appealed to residents that “we have a collective responsibility to make the region a clean and healthy place to live. We must play our various roles to achieve this goal of a “Clean Northern Region” as the region is fast developing into a Cosmopolitan one”.
A five (5) Member Regional Sensitization Committee, to be headed by the Regional Environmental Health Officer has been constituted to roll out sensitization activities with the aim of realizing the objectives of the operation “Clean Northern Region” campaign up to the 28th of May, 2021.
Other members of the Committee will include, a representative from the Information Service Department (ISD), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), a representative of the Regional Integrated Committee on Sanitation (RICS) and a representative of the Civil Society Organization (CSOs).
This committee will carry out sensitization programmes on Radio, TV and other mediums of communication to the general public and bring up enthusiasm and support for the clean-up programmes.
Source: Fiilafmonline/ShawanaYussif
