Ho, Nov. 18, GNA – The Volta Regional Office of the Environmental Health Department has organised a clean-up exercise in the Ho Municipality ahead of the opening of the Fifth Volta Trade and Investment Fair.
The Fair is being held at the Ho Sports Stadium from November 15 to 28, and is expected to bring together some 300 exhibitors and over 10,000 visitors.
The Ho Municipality would also host the World Toilet Day Celebration and the Environmental Health Department worked in collaboration with the Ho Municipal Assembly, with support from the security services and other agencies.
The exercise was focused on the entire municipality, particularly the various State offices and public spaces.
Madam Stella Kumedzro, Regional Environmental Health Officer (REHO), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the exercise had become the second major such event in the Municipality in 2021, and was a “warm up” towards the World Toilet Day Celebration, which comes off on Friday, November 19, on the theme “Stop Open Defecation, own a Household Latrine Now, Let’s Play Our Role in a COVID-19 Era”.
Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister would be the guest speaker, and awards would be given to key players supporting the ending of open defecation in the Region.
An exhibition stand would also be mounted at the Volta Fair grounds to showcase various latrine technologies as well works of the Unit.
The REHO said sanitation coverage in the Region stood at 9 per cent, and required the commitment of all towards the expected improvement.
“We have 91 per cent more to cover before 2030. Even though it looks gloomy, it is not impossible.
Sanitation is a shared responsibility and the government alone cannot do it. The Environmental Health practitioners alone cannot do it,” she said.
GNA