The Head of the Public Health Directorate at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Florence Kuukyi, has called for urgent government investment in engineered landfill sites, warning that Ghana’s struggling waste management system poses a growing public health risk in the aftermath of recent flooding.
Her concerns come as heaps of rubbish remain scattered across parts of Accra following the June 29 floods, exposing longstanding weaknesses in the country’s waste disposal system. Floodwaters swept waste from choked drains and illegal dumping sites into communities, leaving behind debris that health officials fear could trigger disease outbreaks.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom, Florence Kuukyi said Ghana currently lacks a properly functioning engineered landfill site, making effective waste disposal increasingly difficult. She stressed that the country’s waste management challenges require immediate attention to prevent further environmental and health consequences.
She warned that the accumulation of waste after the floods increases the risk of contamination, particularly as decomposing refuse can pollute water sources and create conditions for the spread of diseases if not cleared promptly.
Kuukyi therefore called on the government to strengthen investment in waste management infrastructure while urging Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to intensify sanitation enforcement. She also appealed to private sector players to support efforts to improve waste collection and disposal across the country.
“It is a serious business. The government needs to play its role, assemblies need to play their role, and private partners also need to play their role,” she stated.
CityNewsRoom
