Sanitation needs more attention
Two years from now, Ghana is expected to attain the objectives set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
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The good news is that we have achieved an appreciable degree of success in some of the MDGs, having halved poverty before the target date, while universal primary education is yet to be attained.
However, it appears that we may not be able to attain the target set for the attainment of the objectives in the water and sanitation sector.
Most of our communities still depend on water from streams, rivers and ponds, among other sources.
Also, when it comes to waste disposal and management, our country cannot be said to be a good example.
Liquid and solid waste, particularly plastic bags, is found at every part of our country. Presently, Accra has to contend with how to manage waste generated by its residents.
The Achimota garbage site had to be decommissioned last week because of the nauseating stench that was emanating from it, putting the health of the people living in the area at risk.
It is difficult to comprehend the challenges that have negated our efforts to keep the cities and towns clean.
Many years ago, it was a taboo to litter the environment without sanction, either from the statutory authorities or our traditional leaders.
Perhaps one could cite the growth in population as a major challenge, but the basic and crude methods that were applied in those days are still relevant. In many of the communities, it was routine to burn refuse or bury what could not be burnt.
But it is equally important to point out that in those days people used paper bags, newspapers and leaves to wrap their food and other portable merchandise.
Today, with the advance in technology, we are using plastic to wrap and hold every conceivable item such as food, fruits, vegetables and water. Unfortunately, however, we are unable to apply the same technology to recycle the plastic bags.
Elsewhere, some governments have taken the easiest way out by banning the use of plastic bags, while others have imposed a levy on plastic bags to manage the waste.
Here in Ghana, some organisations that have come up with plans to recycle waste have come against huge challenges that have made their ventures uneconomical.
But the time has come for the country to adopt a more pragmatic method to deal with the garbage menace before it becomes a national catastrophe.
The state should learn useful lessons from the Zoomlion recycling and compost plant at Adjen Kotoku in order to replicate it in other parts of the country for the effective and efficient management of waste.
It is in this vein that we welcome the theme for this year’s New Year School: “The key to future health of our nation: Improving waste, sanitation and hygiene”.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening of the school, the Chief Executive of Zoomlion Company Limited, Dr Joseph Agyepong, called for greater commitment to policy interventions to deal with water and sanitation challenges and their consequence on health.
He said although it was commendable for the country to have put in place various policies and action plans, “we should all seek the acceleration of institutional responses in the implementation of the policies and associated plans”.
This advice is timely, since, in spite of a number of policy interventions, the country seems not to be making any headway in its efforts at solving its water and sanitation problems.
Health is wealth and it, therefore, behoves all of us to assist in the efforts at tackling the country’s water and sanitation challenges to ensure good health to enable the people to increase productivity at all levels.
