Teachers urged to inculcate in students best sanitary practices

06-10-2011       

Teachers have been asked to devote the first ten minutes of their lesson period to teach their students on sanitation and how students and pupils could contribute to ensuring a safer environment free of filth. This way, students will be cautious of activities that pollute the environment and also inform their colleagues and parents on the need to adapt to best sanitary practices. The Programmes Manager of the Centre for Youth Welfare and Development (CYWD), Alagskomah Asakeya Noble made this observation in an interview with Radio Ghana at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region. He said the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 would be a mirage if conscious and collective efforts are not made to tackle the issue of sanitation. Sanitation he said has been one of the country’s major concerns and has remained a serious health challenge to the health sector of the country. Mr. Asakeya Noble was not happy about the way people litter around indiscriminately with impunity and suggested to the municipal and district assemblies to impose spot fines on victims caught in the act. The district assemblies he added should also enact bye laws to this effect and enforce them to the latter. According to him sanctions meted out to victims will serve as deterrent to others. Mr. Asakeya-Noble again implored religious bodies to use their platform to preach about filth and it’s attending effects on our health as well as productivity. Traditional authorities should equally do the same during their festive occasions and meetings. Parliament, he suggested should ban the use of polythene bags and recommend the use of paper bags since they are environmentally friendly. He later called on Ghanaians to join in the growing crusade against filth for healthy living. Another issue on concern raised by Mr. Asakeya Noble was the use of colouring agents in confectionary products and soft drinks with high sugar levels. He said the quality of these colouring agents are questionable and requires the intervention of regulatory bodies like the Food and Drugs Board.

GBC                                                            END                                                                      IA/