Sanitation Updates

The Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson has said that good sanitation is the foundation of health, dignity and development. He said this at the launching of the International Year of Sanitation held in Accra.

Speaking on the theme ‘Building partnership for improved sanitation’, he said sanitation issue are not the responsibility of government alone and that through partnership, great strides could be made in good sanitation delivery in the country.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister Shiek I C Quaye observed that sanitation is the basis for development in the country. “It is important therefore to give sanitation the attention it deserves”. He said there is the need to allocate more resources to sanitation and enforce sanitation bye-laws as well as promoting education in schools and homes.

Read More - The Statesman

The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) three months to come out with a comprehensive plan to phase out the practice, whereby human excreta is carried by some people in society.

The court’s order followed an agreement reached between Mr Stanley Amarteifio, counsel for AMA and Nana Adjei Ampofo, an Accra legal practitioner, who instituted an action against the Assembly for engaging the services of certain persons as carriers of human waste.

Read More - Myjoyonline

33^rd WEDC International Conference - Access to Sanitation and Safe Water: Global Partnerships and Local Actions
Location: Accra, Ghana
Dates: 7-11 April 2008

The conference is organized around four main themes:

• Water Resources
• Water Supply
• Environmental Sanitation
• Institutional and Management Issues

Lasting five days and hosted by Ghana’s Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, the conference will attract around 500 delegates from across the world. More than 120 papers and posters will be presented during the event, which will also feature informal discussion groups, debates and workshops.

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Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment has called on Ghanaians to support the fight against filth as it will be part of their contribution to national development. Mr Adjei-Darko made the call on Monday during the MLGRDE’s Annual Review and Planning Meeting of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate which was held at the Regent Resort Hotel in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.

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Washing hands with soap is a simple and effective way to prevent the spread of many infectious diseases. Yet globally, hand washing rates are low. What factors affect hand washing behaviour in Ghana and what could motivate hygiene behaviour change?

A study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine proposes that consumer marketing, which aims to target the audiences’ hopes, desires and motivations, may be a more effective approach than increasing knowledge via health education.

Read the id21 Research Highlight of this study or go directly to the journal article link

For more on handwashing see Hygiene Central and  The Global Public-Private Partnership for Hand washing with Soap