The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will be collaboratingto improve environmental sanitation in the country.
The partnership is in line with ongoing national efforts towards environmental sanitation and the fight against the cholera outbreak.
This will enable the Ministry work closely with the Christian Council through its various platforms across the country to drive behavioral change among Ghanaians.
[contextly_sidebar id=”2so38hQJBnjTQEjwwWBhyPQenfeuPLRL”]Speaking to Citi News General Secretary of the Christian Council, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong said, they will use their platforms to create awareness and educate their members.
He indicated that “what we will use our various platforms; programmes in church and other things we do to intensify the education on sanitation and if it happens that the Ministry is able to come out with some specifics as to what they want to do, we will use our platforms for the awareness creation.”
Rev Opuni-Frimpong explained that the Council “will physically get involved, we will get our people to go to the streets, to the markets to literally be part of the exercise. Our pastors and church leaders will also get involved.”
In an earlier meeting with the leadership of the CCG and delegation from the the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Julius Debrah, the sector Minister said the Ministry “recognizes Faith Based Organizations such as the CCG as a strong ally in government’s efforts towards environmental sanitation in the country.”
He added that, the CCG as a credible and respected organization in the country with member churches at the local levels with the right tools and techniques to inspire attitudinal change in the lifestyle of many Ghanaians through its various programmes.
Debrah noted that the Ministry has instituted the National Sanitation Day, which will be held the first Saturday of every ensuing month to encourage Ghanaians across the country to use the early hours of that day to clean their environment.
Meanwhile, Ghana is battling the outbreak of cholera which has affected over 10,000 persons and claimed about 100 lives.
The partnership with the Ministry of Local Government and the CCG is expected to help intensify advocacy and educational programmes in the various churches to bring the cholera outbreak under control.
Apart from the three regions in the northern part of Ghana, the cholera outbreak has affected the remaining seven regions, with over 90 deaths and more than 10,000 cases. Majority of the cases have been recorded in the Greater Accra Region.
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana