ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION POLICY REVISED (PAGE 23)

THE Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has revised the environmental sanitation policy. The policy is, however, to receive Cabinet approval this year.
The policy has outlined various actions and challenges including capacity development, information, education and communication, legislation and regulation, research and development, sustainable financing and cost recovery, monitoring and evaluation as well as levels of service.
In addition, the ministry is developing strategies and action plans for the effective implementation of the policy actions.
The Programme Officer in charge of Human Resource Management and Development of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Samuel Akwei Allotey, announced this at the opening ceremony of a four-day training workshop for sanitation guards of the Zoomlion Ghana Limited in Sekondi.
He said the revised policy would be given approval this year on the premise that the current government had sanitation high on its agenda.
Mr Allotey said some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) had developed their District Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plans (DESSAP).
This, he explained, would lead to the development, of a national environmental sanitation Strategy and action plans (NESSAP) and culminate in the development of an environment sanitation strategic investment plan (SIP) for sustainable financing of sanitation.
“I wish to assure you of our commitment to ensuring that Environmental Health Officers effectively play their respective roles and responsibilities of education, monitoring of sanitation services and enforcing compliance of national laws and bye laws of MMDAs”, he said.
“In this vein we intend to strengthen the environmental health and sanitation departments at all levels to ensure the improvement of sanitation in the country”, he said.
Mr Allotey added that the directorate would organise in-service training programmes for all staff at all levels to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to be effective in the performance of their duties and also develop information, education and communication materials for public education as well as strengthening the collaboration with the private sector.
“It is in this regard that Zoomlion Ghana Limited is collaborating with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to train sanitation guards who are to assist Environmental Health Officers in the conduct of environmental health inspections and equip them with the requisite skills for public education and law enforcement”, he explained.
“I want to crave the indulgence of all environmental health officers to use them for the purpose for which they have been engaged. The sanitation guards are not to go on inspections alone and we do not also expect two environmental health officers conduct inspections since we want you to increase coverage”, he added.