Zoomlion Company Limited on Thursday, August 20 began an eight-day disinfection and disinfestation exercise across selected public facilities in 22 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Central Region.
The exercise, carried out in collaboration with the Central Regional Coordinating Council and District Assemblies, targeted schools, markets, health facilities and public places of convenience identified through rapid risk assessments by the respective Assemblies.
It was a necessary response to the nationwide floods that affected many communities and inundated public facilities.
The flooding had increased the risk of environmental contamination and created breeding grounds for disease vectors, heightening the possibility of outbreaks of water- and vector-borne illnesses.
The intervention formed part of an agreement between Zoomlion Company Limited and government to provide large-scale disinfection and pest-control services periodically.
The operation, which started in Cape Coast at the Kwamena Walker Avenue public toilet, was led by a 10-member spraying gang that included two female operatives.
From Cape Coast the team moved to spray various refuse container sites, dump sites, school libraries and other public spaces in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality (KEEA) and the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District (AAK).
Briefing the media during the tour, Mr Noah Addo Opey, Central Regional Manager of Zoomlion Company Limited, emphasised the health rationale and benefits of the exercise to significantly reduce risks and protect public health after the flooding while cleanup and longer-term recovery continue.
He explained that disinfecting toilets, school libraries, market stalls and refuse sites removed contaminants and helped break transmission chains for pathogens that thrive after flooding.
“This exercise will reduce exposure to bacteria, viruses and vectors, lower the likelihood of diarrhoeal and respiratory infections and limit vector-borne diseases such as malaria and cholera in flood-affected communities”, Mr Opey emphasised.
Admonishing the public, Mr Opey urged all to maintain environmental cleanliness, clear stagnant water, dispose of refuse properly, cover food items in markets and keep public conveniences clean to sustain the gains of the disinfection efforts.
He reiterated Zoomlion Company Limited’s mandate to support sanitation and public-health interventions and called on community members, traditional leaders and local authorities to cooperate with the teams to ensure the exercise’s success.
Representing the Central Regional Minister, Mr William Goku, Regional Environmental Officer, assured of RCC’s unalloyed support for the exercise as critical to preventing post-flood disease outbreaks.
He advised residents to support the mass disinfection exercise by actively participating and maintaining proper hygiene practices in their homes, workplaces and public spaces.
He urged the public to regularly clean their surroundings and cooperate with authorities to help prevent the spread of diseases and promote a healthier environment.
An elated Assemblyman for Pedu Abakadze-Cape Coast North, James Arthur, praised the timeliness of the exercise and noted that many homes and public spaces in his area were affected by the floods and that the spraying and cleanup would provide temporary relief while longer-term recovery plans were put in place.
Mr Arthur called on residents to follow the Assembly’s sanitary directives and to support Zoomlion’s teams as they completed the eight-day operation.