The Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES) in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, have begun fumigating senior high schools in the Ashanti Region, to control bedbugs invasion.

The two-week exercise is expected to cover a large number of both public and private second cycle intuitions, in all 16 regions.

The invasion of bedbugs and other dangerous insects in second cycle intuitions has become a cause of worry to both school authorities, parents and students as a whole.

The increasing cases of bedbugs infestation in schools, has raised serious health concerns which have compelled the Education Service to find a better solution to deal with the problem.

The bugs and other insects such as cockroaches, mosquitoes and ants, have repeatedly invaded some of these schools especially, those with boarding facilities.

According to medical experts, bedbug bites can cause health complications like sleep deprivation and aneamia from loss of blood. People who are bitten by bedbugs experience irritation and sores . 

The bites are itchy and often require over-the-counter treatment to relieve the itchiness.

In view of this the Education Ministry entered into partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Ltd to launch a nationwide fumigation exercise, to  disinfect all second cycle institutions to make sure bedbugs and other insets are eliminated from the schools.

Last Thursday, Zoomlion started the massive fumigation in the Ashanti Region’s capital, Kumasi and its environs where 53 out of 190 senior high schools have been fumigated.

The spraying exercise was done in all classrooms, dormitories, dining halls, and administration blocks.

Senior High Schools (SHS), Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools (TVETS) and Special Schools across the country, will benefit from the exercise.

Some of the  Schools that were fumigated included Bekwai SDA SHS, St. Mary’s Girls’ SHS Juaso SHTS, Juaben SHS, Effiduasi Commercial SHS, Nurul Ameen Islamic SHS, Barekese SHS, Mpasatia SHS, Nkawie SHS, Nyinahin SHS, Afia Kobi SHS, T I Ahmadiyya SHS, and Effiduase Asokore SHS.

Also fumigated were Krobea Asante Technical, Tijjani SHS, St. Joseph’s, Tweneboah Koduah SHS, Dadease Agric Kwumawu, Wesley SHS, Oweriman SHS, Ofoase SHS, Odumase SHS, Collins SHS, Bankoman SHS, Toase SHS, Atwima kwanwoma SHS, Bompata Presby among others.