By Edzorna Francis Mensah
An environmentalist, Yanyae Donkor Andrews, has called for regular fumigation exercises at homes, offices, and other enclosed areas to promote good health at all times.
According to him, systematic decontamination of our places will be in line with the three main points of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which are to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable, and Ghana will be seen as the leading campaigner for a clean environment.
Mr. Yanyae Donkor Andrews, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of St. Andy Cleaning Services Limited, stated in an interview with gbcghanaonline.com that even fumigation and pest control at homes and offices to deal with cockroaches, mice, rats, mosquitoes, wall geckos, bedbugs, snakes, frogs, spiders, ants, and lizards lead to high productivity at the workplace and give families sound sleep at night.
He also mentioned that normal general cleaning of windows, toilets, doors, sweeps, tables, tiles, terrazzo washrooms, carpet, sofa chairs, kitchen, washing of curtains, etc. also allows for fresh and clean air that seeks to prevent respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer, which are now common.
St. Andy Cleaning Services Limited is one of the leading cleaning service providers in the Greater Accra Region and is also involved in weeding services.
Median Weeding, House Weeding, Estate Weeding, Trimming of Gardens, and Weedicide, as well as dislodgement of septic tanks, blockages, blowing of pipes lines, and de-silting and gutter cleaning
WHO attributes poor sanitation to the transmission of diarrhoea diseases such as cholera and dysentery, as well as typhoid, intestinal worm infections, and polio. It exacerbates stunting and contributes to the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
The World Health Organisation report on sanitation published on March 21, 2022, said some 829,000 people in low- and middle-income countries die as a result of inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene each year, representing 60% of total diarrhoea deaths.
The report suggested that poor sanitation is believed to be the main cause of some 432,000 of these deaths and is a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis, and trachoma. Poor sanitation also contributes to malnutrition.
In 2020, 54% of the global population (4.2 billion people) used a safely managed sanitation service; 34% (2.6 billion people) used private sanitation facilities connected to sewers from which wastewater was treated; 20% (1.6 billion people) used toilets or latrines where excreta were safely disposed of in situ; and 78% of the world’s population (6.1 billion people) used at least a basic sanitation service.
“Diarrhoea remains a major killer but is largely preventable. Better water, sanitation, and hygiene could prevent the deaths of 297,000 children aged under 5 each year.
Open defecation perpetuates a vicious cycle of disease and poverty. The countries where open defection is most widespread have the highest number of deaths of children aged under 5 years as well as the highest levels of malnutrition and poverty and big disparities of wealth”, the report added.
