The Community Development Department and the Environmental Health Officers of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) of the Ashiedu Keteku Sub-Metro, have intensified sanitary education within some cholera endemic communities in Accra.
Some of the communities which the officers visited were Agbogloshie, Aayalolo and Kantamanto.
The officers sensitized the people, especially water and food vendors, and market women on the need for them to handle their wares in a hygienic manner to avoid diseases like cholera and typhoid.
Mrs Vincentia Koranteng Asante, a Community Development Officer at the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro, told the Ghana News Agency that the programme was aimed at preventing the re-occurrence of a cholera outbreak.
She said effective sustainable awareness such as house-to-house sensitization campaigns and the promotion of hygiene among the people were important and urged the residents to take advantage to improve their personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.
Mrs Asante appealed to the people to be conscious about the unhealthy practices of indiscriminate defecation and dumping of refuse into drains.
Mr Chris Gawugbe, the District Environmental Health Officer of the AMA, cautioned the people not to be complacent with the reduction of cholera cases for the past three years and that it could re-occur if they do not take hygiene seriously.
He said: “Doctors have confirmed that every three years the disease strikes in some part of Accra,” hence the AMA strategy to visit the people at their homes to educate them on good hygiene.
Mr Gawugbe gave the assurance that the Environmental Health Officers would continue to embark on a house-to-house inspection to educate the people to eradicate indiscriminate littering and disposal of waste.
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