Zoomlion Ghana Limited has begun a week-long disinfection and disinfestation exercise across all 15 municipalities and districts in the Upper East Region to help prevent disease outbreaks during the peak rainy season.

The exercise targets public spaces and sanitation facilities that could serve as breeding grounds for disease vectors and pathogens, including public toilets, markets, schools, health facilities, communal waste container sites, dumping grounds and drainage systems.

It forms part of a nationwide programme being implemented by Zoomlion in collaboration with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to strengthen environmental sanitation and disease prevention.

Although the Upper East Region was not directly affected by the recent floods in parts of southern Ghana, Zoomlion’s Upper East Regional Manager, Kojo Njabore Upon, said the prevailing rainy-season conditions made the intervention necessary.

Speaking during the exercise, Mr Upon explained that rainfall and runoff could carry contaminants from areas affected by open defecation, indiscriminate waste disposal and other unsanitary practices into drains, watercourses and public spaces.

Such conditions, he said, could increase the risk of disease transmission, including cholera, particularly in communities with poor environmental sanitation.

He said the exercise was therefore designed to treat high-risk areas where pathogens and disease vectors could thrive and help reduce potential public health risks.

Mr Upon clarified that the exercise was focused specifically on disinfection and disinfestation and did not constitute a general refuse-collection exercise.

He said waste evacuation and clearing could, however, be undertaken in selected communities under separate sanitation programmes where necessary.

‘Sanitation is not an event’

Mr Upon urged residents to actively participate in National Sanitation Day activities and take greater responsibility for keeping their homes, businesses and communities clean.

“Sanitation is not an event; it is continuous,” he stressed.

He said periodic disinfection and disinfestation could not provide lasting solutions if waste, debris and other insanitary conditions were allowed to persist.

Mr Upon encouraged households, traders and businesses to store waste properly and engage authorised waste management service providers for regular collection and disposal at designated sites.

He said proper waste management should be seen as an investment in public health, noting that preventable diseases could lead to significant medical expenses, loss of productive time and reduced household incomes.

The Upper East Regional Environmental and Sanitation Officer, Charles Yinbil Awuni, welcomed the exercise and described it as timely, particularly during the rainy season.

He appealed to residents to complement the intervention by maintaining clean surroundings, avoiding indiscriminate waste disposal and adopting responsible sanitation practices.

Zoomlion said the week-long exercise is expected to improve environmental sanitation and reduce potential disease risks across the Upper East Region.

The company also urged residents to treat cleanliness and responsible waste management as continuous responsibilities necessary to protect public health and build cleaner, healthier communities.