As part of efforts to prevent disease outbreaks and improve environmental sanitation following recent flooding, Zoomlion Ghana Limited has stepped up its public health response. To safeguard communities, Zoomlion intensifies disinfection and disinfestation exercises across the Oti Region.
The exercise, which commenced simultaneously in the Krachi East and West Municipalities, is expected to cover all nine Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the region.
It is being undertaken in collaboration with the respective Assemblies, which have identified priority areas requiring the intervention. The exercise targets markets, shops and sheds, public toilets, drains and gutters, refuse container sites, waste-dumping areas, flood-prone communities and other public spaces considered potential breeding grounds for disease vectors and harmful pathogens.
Zoomlion intensifies disinfection and disinfestation exercise for public safety
Speaking to the media during the exercise, the Oti Regional Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr. Joseph Buabeng, said the intervention formed part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
He noted it aligns with their broader commitment to protecting public health and supporting local authorities in addressing sanitation challenges. He explained that the intervention went beyond conventional fumigation to include comprehensive disinfection and disinfestation.
This is aimed at controlling disease vectors, reducing harmful pathogens and mitigating the risk of waterborne and other communicable diseases associated with flooding and poor sanitation.
“Our objective is to protect residents from diseases that commonly emerge after flooding. We do not want to wait until there is an outbreak before taking action. This is a proactive measure aimed at safeguarding public health and protecting lives,” Mr. Buabeng stated.
According to him, floodwaters could carry sewage, waste and other contaminants into drains, waterways and public spaces. This increases the risk of diseases such as cholera, particularly in communities already facing sanitation challenges.
Targeting high-risk environments and waste sites
Mr. Buabeng said particular attention was being given to waste-dumping sites and areas close to water bodies. In these locations, decomposing waste, leachate and increased fly populations could create significant environmental and public health risks.
He added that the exercise was in line with a directive from the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, to support communities across the country in controlling vector-borne diseases and reducing the threat posed by harmful pathogens.
Beyond the immediate intervention, Mr. Buabeng called for sustainable and long-term solutions to Ghana’s sanitation challenges.
These, he said, should include the development and maintenance of properly engineered landfill sites, stronger regulation of waste transportation and the establishment of strategically located waste transfer stations in rapidly growing municipalities.
Commendation from local health authorities
The Environmental Health Officer at the Krachi East Municipal Assembly, Mr. Adem Atiase, commended Zoomlion for the intervention. He expressed appreciation to the company for undertaking the exercise as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
He noted that the exercise would complement the Assembly’s environmental health efforts and contribute to making public spaces safer, cleaner and healthier for residents.
The intervention forms part of Zoomlion’s nationwide disinfection and disinfestation programme. This initiative seeks to strengthen collaboration with local authorities, improve environmental sanitation, control disease vectors, prevent potential disease outbreaks and promote cleaner, safer and healthier communities across the country.
