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President John Dramani Mahama will, on April 2, 2025, re-introduce the “National Sanitation Day” to ensure healthier environments and prevent diseases.
Citizens are, therefore, urged to embrace and fully participate in the programme to achieve the desired outcomes. This was announced by Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs on Thursday at a media engagement in Accra. Ahead of the day a task force, headed by the Chief Director and Director in Charge of Sanitation at the Ministry, would lead the charge to ensure the exercise was executed.
Mr Ibrahim said the event would be observed nationally at 1000 hours at Mantse Agbona, Jamestown, which would be competitive for metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to maintain good sanitation for the wellbeing of the people. The first National Sanitation Day, after the launch, would be on Saturday, April 5, he said, and called on all to prioritise environmental hygiene and cleanliness.
“We are all engulfed by filth and cholera. From 24th October 2023 until now, we are still struggling with cholera, which has to do with poor sanitation issues. That is why we thought it wise to expedite action on sanitation,” Mr Ibrahim said. “Cholera doesn’t discriminate just as sanitation. Meaning, we are in it together. So, we want to plead with you to make the programme a success.”
The Minister said the Government prioritised progress and human health, hence the sanitation exercise, which was a Manifesto promise. He admonished the media to enhance education on the exercise, as a national responsibility, to whip up the interest of Ghanaians in maintaining good sanitation and personal hygiene. The Day will be observed on the first Saturday of every month and in all regional capitals and MMDAs.
Mr Ibrahim pledged to work on ensuring that the budget for the programme, especially the sanitation task force, was approved to facilitate the exercise. Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, the Deputy Sector Minister, said the key objectives of the day was to create awareness on proper environmental sanitation practices after the launch. She said collaboration would be essential between stakeholders – Corporate Ghana, media, community-based and non-governmental organisations, traditional councils and faith-based organisations – to support the programme due to the economic benefits it could accrue.
She called on citizens to come out in their numbers and participate in the exercise to ensure clean and healthy environments to reduce sanitation related diseases. First introduced on November 1, 2014, by President John Mahama, the National Sanitation Day is a voluntary clean-up exercise for all residents in Ghana in an effort to reduce unsanitary conditions that breed diseases and cause injuries.
Source: GNA
