By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Sekondi, July 26, GNA – The Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODE) has called for intensified public education on sanitation issues to promote behavioural change and help build cleaner and healthier communities across the country.
The Coalition has also urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to demonstrate greater commitment to sanitation through proactive waste management systems, regular dredging of drains, efficient waste collection and disposal, and the strict enforcement of sanitation by-laws.
The call was made during a radio sensitisation programme organised as part of an advocacy campaign to make sanitation a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Assemblies.
The programme was supported by World Vision Ghana.
Madam Maribel Akuorkor Okine, the Western Regional Director for Gender; Mr Oliver Cromwell, a public health consultant; and Mr Emmanuel Opoku, Western Regional Correspondent of the Daily Guide newspaper, participated in the discussion and underscored the importance of prioritising sanitation in local governance and development planning.
Mr Cromwell said effective sanitation programmes could significantly reduce Out-Patient Department attendance resulting from sanitation-related diseases and lessen the financial burden on families.
He therefore urged Assemblies to be responsive and intentionally invest resources in improving environmental cleanliness within their jurisdictions.
He said investments in sanitation are investments in public health, productivity and economic development.
Madam Okine, in her contribution, emphasised the need for inclusive planning that adequately considers and prioritises the sanitation needs of both women and men.
She also advocated continuous orientation and community education on sanitation-related issues to sustain positive behavioural change.
“If we all begin to do our part, we may not need an increase budget but commitment to right behaviours.”
Mr Opoku on his part, noted that budgetary constraints should not be used as an excuse for poor sanitation outcomes and cleaner cities.
According to him, a strong sense of civic responsibility and communal spirit among citizens was essential to maintaining a clean environment.
“We need the communal spirit and sense of responsibility as Ghanaian towards the environment, when we preserve it well today, our children and future generations stand to benefit.”
He further reminded schools, traditional authorities and families of their critical role in shaping positive attitudes among children, particularly in waste handling and environmental stewardship, to prevent indiscriminate dumping of refuse in communities.
Mrs Mildred Siabi-Mensah, Western Regional Convenor of M-CODE, expressed appreciation to World Vision Ghana and the Coalition’s National Office, led by Mr Francis Ameyibor, for championing the initiative.
She said the campaign sought to drive attitudinal change among citizens and encourage Assemblies to give greater attention to sanitation issues in their planning, budgeting and development programmes.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Mildred Siabi-Mensah