MEST/MOH organise consensus building workshop

Accra, Nov. 3, GNA - Ms Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment Science and Technology (MEST), on Wednesday warned that the Ministry would not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against industries that flout environmental regulations on proper waste management.

The Minister said emerging trend of disease conditions in the country as a result of poor waste management, had necessitated an ongoing industrial survey by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce its guidelines and regulations regarding proper disposal of industrial waste.

She said the Agency would ensure that all waste generated by industries are treated before disposal.

Ms Ayittey issued the warning at the opening of a consensus building workshop and explained that environment influenced the health of people mainly through exposures to physical, chemical and biological risk factors and through related changes in behaviour in response to those factors.

The workshop, which was jointly organized by MEST and the Ministry of Health (MOH), was aimed at the implementation of the Situational Analysis and Needs Assessment (SADA) in Ghana for its health and environment assessment impact as requested by the Libreville Declaration.

She said the Libreville meeting, which was held in August 2008, urged member countries, among others, to establish a health and environment strategic alliance as the basis for plans of joint action and also ensure integration of agreed objectives in the areas of health and environment in national poverty reduction strategies.

It also requested for the institution of practices of systematic assessment of health and environment risks in particular through the development of procedures to assess impacts on health and to produce national environment outlook reports.

Ms Ayittey said the meeting, in its desperation to find lasting solutions to raising health and environmental challenges, adopted 11 priority action points, which included establishing or strengthening systems for health and environment surveillance to allow measurement of interlinked health and environment impacts and identify emerging risks in order to manage them better.

The Minister also linked most of the current health problems facing the country directly and indirectly to the poor state of the environment.

She called on the citizenry to be responsible to their environment and ensure the highest order of protection and cleanliness required to help eliminate preventable illnesses such as malaria, cholera, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.

Mr Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health, said Ghana with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), has developed a national strategic plan based on evidence generated from the country's Situational Analysis and Need Assessment (SANA).

He said the final report was expected to be presented at an inter-ministerial Conference on Health and Environment in Africa scheduled to take place later in November.

Mr Mettle-Nunoo stressed the importance of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) as a key instrument for integrating health considerations into policies, plans and activities implemented by different sectors of the national economy.

He explained that HIA was a key instrument for ensuring healthy public policies and for tackling both environmental and social determinants of health.

The Deputy Minister said the MOH fully endorsed the action points under the Declaration aimed at providing synergies in addressing environmental challenges while simultaneously preventing ill-health. Mr Mettle-Nunoo said the MOH would work with the MEST and affiliated institutions as well as other sectors to ensure that the ideals of the Libreville Declaration gained grounds in Ghana.