Stakeholders involved in the fight against the outbreak of Ebola and cholera have at a meeting in Accra called on the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to reduce its current charges on waste collection to promote sanitation in the metropolis.
According to them, ad hoc clean-up campaigns to rid cities and urban areas of filth were not the solution to the current problem of waste management.
The stakeholders, who said this in reference to the National Sanitation Day, made the call at a National Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) programme on Ebola and cholera organised by the Hope For Future Generation (HFFG) network yesterday.
Fee too high
They were of the belief that the recent 100 per cent increase in waste collection fees by the AMA was one of the reasons many people continued to dump their refuse at unapproved places.
Also, they said instead of monthly national clean-up exercises, people should be conscienctised to undertake frequent personal clean-up exercises in their areas to help reduce the level of filth in their localities.
The stakeholders included traditional leaders, market women, personnel of some security agencies, faith-based organisations and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
Self education
The Programmes Director of the HFFG, Mr Samuel Benefour, called on the public to ensure that they were abreast of information on infectious diseases such as Ebola and cholera and their mode of spread.
He said while it was not easy to change the behaviour of people, a constant reminder of the do�s and don�ts, would help people change their behaviour.
The Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinator of the Ebola and Cholera Project, Ms Adwoa Sey, said so far 93 community surveillance volunteers had been trained as part of the project.
She said the volunteers had covered almost 60 per cent of their target group in the region.
A Director at the Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mr Charles Kotey, who chaired the event, called for more education on hygiene to prevent a recurrent of the cholera outbreak the country experienced within the year.
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