Within the last few weeks, the government has released a total of GH¢13 million for purposes of combating the cholera epidemic which has so far claimed 70 precious lives, needlessly. While it is commendable to vote the money to deal with the epidemic, the authorities – especially health and city authorities – should be asking whether it makes any sense at all to ignore the palpable dangers of the outbreak of not only cholera but also other diseases, only to spend this amount of money for fire fighting. In fact it is a miracle that the cholera epidemic did not breakout earlier than it did, and in a larger scale than has been witnessed. The garbage-strewn streets of Accra, certainly are fertile grounds for opportunistic diseases such as cholera. It is in order that the Local Government Minister, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has said part of the money voted by the government to manage the cholera epidemic will go into waste management. It is however sad that the minister warned that this is the last time central government will spend money on waste management. If central government by deciding to use part of the money is making a tacit admission that poor sanitation is responsible for the epidemic, and for which reason the money has been released, the government cannot turn around and say quite confusedly that it will not spend money on sanitation. It is shameful that the capital of Ghana is dirty the way Accra is. The dirt in Accra is a mark of a collective failure of all – leaders, citizens, city authorities and so on. If we cannot manage our waste well, what else can we manage properly? The garbage is simply overwhelming and is a shame on us all. No part of the capital and other cities are spared the menace. President Mills during his recent visit to Bolga complained of “polythene here, polythene there, polythene everywhere.” But one wonders if Accra is any different, or yet still, even better. The needless deaths of the 70 people should awaken us from our slumber. We should begin to adopt measures such as hand washing with soap especially before and after meals, and also after using the washroom. It costs virtually nothing to do this. It is in this regard that Unilever Ghana Limited, consumer goods manufacturer and distributor, aims at conscientising the citizenry to live healthy lifestyles. The company has not only donated ambulances to hospitals across the country, it has also undertaken a signature campaign - Sign-on to a Healthy Nation – which seeks to enlist as many people as possible to support a nation-wide campaign to increase public awareness on the need for people to wash their hands and maintain personal hygiene. “Those who have lost their loved ones, you can imagine all the emotional stress they are going through. All these could have been prevented just by taking this simple action of washing your hands with soap and water all the time,” Bernice Natue, Corporate Relations Manager of Unilever Ghana Limited said. All well-meaning Ghanaians must support Unilever’s campaign. The efforts required of us may be small but the results are unimaginably beneficial.