Government Secures U.S.$300,000 Facility for Schools of Hygiene

By Anita Nyarko-Yirenkyi

Government has secured a $300,000 African Development Bank facility to support the schools of hygiene in the country, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources has announced.

According to him, the schools of hygiene need to be supported to increase the current number of trainee intake.

"Government is exploring the possibility of establishing a fourth school of hygiene in Ghana and strengthening the existing ones to produce more motivated graduates," he added.

The Minster said this in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Joseph Obeng-Poku, the acting Chief Director of the Ministry at a stakeholders meeting in Accra.

The programme which brought together stakeholders from the environmental service providers, health training institutions among others was on the theme "Schools of hygiene before and after NUFFIC intervention."

He said current poor state of sanitation in Ghana poses a great threat in achieving the objectives of the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"Sanitation situation in the cities and towns leaves much to be desired even though much resource have been sank into ensuring that the cities are clean," he added.

The Minister said in achieving the goals of clean, safe and healthy, the Ministry was in the process of deploying sanitation brigades to augment the current low staffing situation in Ghana.

"These auxiliary sanitation operatives will work directly under the environmental health officers in various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies," he added.

The Principal of the Accra School of Hygiene, Mr Raphael Komla Nutsupui in a speech read on his behalf by Edward Kofi Fudzi of Ho School of Hygiene said the Netherlands government has over the years supported the School of Hygiene in various capacities.

He said the NUFFIC project which was initiated in January 2014 and expected to end in July 2018 has supported areas such as sponsoring of tutors to obtain Masters' degrees in Environmental and Public Health, refurbishment of laboratories of the school of hygiene, provision of computers and renovation of the Accra School of Hygiene Hostel, among others.

Mr Nustukpui commended the Netherlands government for their support, stating that the intervention has assisted the schools in their activities.

The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Ron Strikker said the treatment of waste generated in the country could serve as a major source of raw materials such as bio gas among others.

He said the School of Hygiene has a role to play in the country's sanitation activities.

The Ambassador assured the schools of Netherland's continuous support in helping them achieve their goals.

The Project Manager of School of Health Professions Education of the Maastricht University, Mr Mike Robertson said the project would strengthen the School of Hygiene to improve the quality of graduates and service to the public and private sectors in environmental health and sanitation.

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