The Progressive People's Party (PPP), Thursday, laid down its health blue print with eradication of malaria and cholera as its key focus in its first term of office. It said alongside the eradication of the two diseases, the party would empower institutions to place more premiums on preventive measures supported by control treatment and bring back sanitary inspectors to enforce the law. “The PPP led government will solve the problems we have by restoring the state’s responsibility for clean and healthy environment throughout Ghana. What is required is a militant approach, strengthening of institutions and a sense of urgency to combat these diseases,” it stated. Presenting the PPP’s health policy on the theme: “Eradicating Preventable Disease” at a media briefing in Accra Thursday, the spokesperson, Dr Theophilus Kwofie, said the problem Ghana faced as far as preventable diseases was concerned was the lack of proper sanitation, which he said the current administration lacked the initiative to deal with. “These diseases, as the PPP understands, are diseases of poverty and cause of poverty. We recognise that the country sits on a time bomb till unwavering commitments are garnered by all stakeholders to convincingly alleviate the disease from the economy,’’ he said. Some of the party bigwigs who graced the occasion were the chairman of PPP, Nii Alotey Brew-Hammond, the General Secretary, Mr Kofi Siaw, Director of Communication, Mr Richmond Keelson, a member of the communication team, Mr Samuel K. Ampah and some of the Greater Accra Regional Parliamentary Candidates. Dr Kwofie who is also PPP’s chairman of the Ashanti Region said one key way of dealing with the menace was to solve the problem of water supply to ensure clean water for every household and investment into public houses in order to do away with the slums. He explained that effective leadership, a sense of urgency in addressing the issues that directly impacts human survival and adequate education on preventable diseases were essential ingredients missing in the Fourth Republic. He said, “These are the positive attributes PPP will bring when our presidential Candidate, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, becomes president.” Dr Kwofie said America, Britain and Singapore were successful because they employed pragmatic, realistic and result-driven approaches in eradicating malaria and cholera from their countries. According to him, developing strategies that would enable the identification of disease-specific endemic communities while establishing community-based surveillance system would offer a solution to the problem of preventable diseases in Ghana. He added that maintaining up-to-date databases, effective and sustainable supervision and sustenance of relevant advocacy programmes were effective programmes the current government had not implemented. For his part, the flag-bearer of the party, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, promised Ghanaians that if elected, he would offer alternative approach in dealing with the major causes of issues affecting the labour force in the country. “The PPP’s efforts are to apply a sense of urgency in devising lasting solutions to make Ghana a malaria and cholera-free economy. We will provide social intervention and alternatives when it matters so that our actions do not cause distress,’’ he said. Dr Nduom said it was an undisputed fact that malaria and cholera were the major cause of poverty in the country which he said had severely affected the socio-economic growth of the country. To eradicate these menaces, which is the basis for success, he said a PPP government would urgently resolve the over reliance of a single method of eradication and encourage varying research and scientifically proven methods. Nii Brew-Hammond, however, called on Ghanaians to rally behind the party to ensure that all the effective policies which were aimed to develop the country would be implemented.