Sanitation situation disturbing - Minister

Accra, Aug. 2, GNA - The sanitation situation in the country is deteriorating by the day and this might lead to increase in sanitation related diseases among children and the most vulnerable. It is estimated that an appreciable number of children die annually before the age of five mainly from preventable sanitation-related diseases, said Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment.

Speaking at the launch of National Attitudinal Change Initiative Project by Media in Partnership for Development, an NGO, he called on all stakeholders to help maintain the environment so that the country could make progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goal on acquiring good sanitation.

He said his was liaising with the judicial services to ensure that sanitary laws were rigorously enforced. He is also working on the introduction of sanitary guards in all 138 old Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts assemblies to assist the Environmental Health officers. He noted that financing sanitation services worldwide was capital intensive and must not be left to governments alone since its negative impact affected all.

Mrs. Esther Ofei-Aboagye, Director of Institute of Local Government Studies, said the main objective of the project was to foster national attitudinal change, particularly in relation to sanitation and environmental hygiene issues.

She noted that in 2006 and 2007, the Institute ran a series of regional programmes on Behaviour Change Communication for Districts and Regional Environmental Health Officers.

"Action plans were developed as result of these programmes and we would like to go back and examine the extent to which these have been implemented," she added.