Zoomlion Ghana has begun disinfecting markets, schools, health facilities and other public spaces across more than 15 districts in the Upper East Region as the peak rainy season raises concerns about the spread of waterborne and other infectious diseases.
The mass disinfection exercise is targeting markets, lorry parks, schools, health facilities, abattoirs and other public infrastructure where large numbers of people gather.
Zoomlion Upper East Regional Manager Kojo Njabore said the intervention is intended to reduce disease-causing pathogens that can spread through contaminated water, waste and public spaces during the rainy season.
“When it rains, the water carries a whole lot of debris that contaminates public health, public infrastructure and most of the public places,” Mr Njabore said.
He said the exercise is targeting pathogens associated with cholera, typhoid and malaria, among other diseases.
The intervention comes during the peak of the rainy season in northern Ghana, when heavy rainfall, flooding, stagnant water and sanitation challenges can increase public health risks.
Mr Njabore said particular attention is being given to frequently used public spaces because contamination in such areas could potentially expose large numbers of people.
He also sought to reassure traders, butchers and other users of the facilities about the chemicals being used for the exercise, saying they had been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
“These are EPA-approved chemicals that we are using,” he said.
At the abattoir, one of the facilities covered by the exercise, Mr Njabore said normal activities could resume about eight hours after disinfection.
He explained that the open nature of many of the facilities allows them to be used safely after the recommended waiting period.
Beyond the exercise, Mr Njabore urged residents to maintain clean surroundings, arguing that periodic interventions alone cannot address sanitation and public health challenges.
“Sanitation is a continuous thing. It can never be an event,” he said.
He said Zoomlion is considering another intervention later in the year, although the approach would depend on the environmental and public health challenges identified at the time.
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