Story: Kukua Snead-Michaels
Director of Metro Public Health Department at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Senior Environmental Health Analyst, Florence Kuukyi, has expressed concern over what she describes as successive governments’ failure to make sanitation a national priority despite the country’s recurring sanitation and flooding challenges.
Speaking on Amansan Television’s (ATV) morning programme Anopa Bosuo, Madam Kuukyi said poor waste management, environmental pollution and frequent flooding continued to pose serious public health risks “because sanitation has not been given the prominence it deserves in national development planning”.
According to her, the lack of sustained investment and attention to sanitation had contributed to environmental degradation and growing public health concerns across the country.
Madam Kuukyi also expressed concern over the neglect of Environmental Health Officers despite the critical role they play in promoting sanitation and protecting public health.
She noted that Environmental Health Officers continue to face significant challenges that hinder their ability to effectively enforce sanitation regulations.
One of the major challenges, she said, was the lack of official uniforms, making it difficult for the public to identify Environmental Health Officers during official duties and, in some cases, comply with their directives.
She further lamented the inadequate funding for environmental health activities, explaining that the shortage of financial resources had affected routine inspections, public education campaigns and enforcement operations.
Madam Kuukyi called for greater government commitment to sanitation by prioritising investment in environmental health services and providing the logistical and financial support needed to enable Environmental Health Officers to carry out their mandate effectively.
Her remarks follow the President’s announcement of a two-day national flood aftermath cleanup exercise scheduled for July 10 and 11, 2026, as part of efforts to restore communities affected by the June 29 floods and address sanitation concerns arising from the disaster.
The exercise, which required the closure of all shops, markets and commercial establishments from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on both days, was intended to support the removal of flood debris and improve sanitation in affected areas.
