Bolgatanga, April 25, GNA- Dr. John Koku Awoonor- Williams, Upper East Regional Director of Health Services has said poor hygiene was to blame for Ghana's many diseases.

He indicated that the huge annual government health bill could be reduced drastically if Ghanaians learnt how to keep their environment clean. The Regional Director who was commending three organisations for embarking on clean up exercises in the Bolgatanga Municipality, bemoaned the spate of littering especially sachet water and polythene bags in the Municipality which "was posing a big threat to public health. Saeed Froko Film Production, Timberland Ventures and Zoomlion Company Limited had embarked on a clean-up exercise in the Bolgatanga Municipality. He cited developing countries including Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe which attached more importance to good environmental practices and said there was the need to emulate such countries.

Whilst commending the three organizations, he entreated other organizations including workers and the members of public to cultivate the habit of cleanliness to help prevent diseases. The Director of Saeed Froko Film Production, Mr. Saeed Froko said his outfit was embarking on the clean-up exercise as part of its social responsibility and said it would be regular in the nine Districts in the Region.

He observed that majority of people were losing their lives because of common environmental diseases and called for the sensitization of communities to keep the environment clean to avert diseases. Mr. Mohammed Latekebia, the Director of Timberland Ventures, pledged his outfit readiness to fund the exercise because it was its goal to ensure that the vision of government to get rid of filth was achieved. "A health population is a wealthy nation and getting the rid of filth should not be the sole responsibility of Government."