The surge in COVID-19 cases in Ghana amid resumption of schools and economic activities

The Health Sector Environmental Health Practitioners Association–Ghana (HeSEHPAG), a professional Association for Environmental Health Officers practicing under the Ministry of Health (MOH) and its Agencies, and are regulated by the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) in accordance with the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), wish to state categorically the following:

Ministry of Health (MOH), Ghana Health Service (GHS), Teaching Hospitals (THs), Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and Quasi Health facilities should provide adequate resources and logistics for Environmental Health Officers employed in these facilities to supervise and carry out measures to enhance better conditions of hygiene in these health facilities to help curb the spread of COVID-19 disease.

We are passionately calling on the general public and the entire citizenry to adhere to and strictly comply with all the prescribed COVID-19 preventive measures and protocols outlined by the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service, and as clearly indicated in the No.22 address to the nation by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the President of the Republic on Sunday 17th January, 2021 on measures taken against the spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic by the Government, thereby ensuring enhanced personal, food and environmental hygiene, wearing of face mask, avoid close contact as much as possible including social gathering, funerals and ensuring proper handwashing with soap under clean running water at all times.

We are entreating all our members (Health Sector Environmental Health Officers) across the country who are working in both public and private hospitals, the port health, health training institutions and Quasi facilities and institutions to intensify COVID–19 public education especially at their place of work, the communities they live in and other places of social gathering of great public health concern in these critical times.

We encourage all Environmental Health Officers working in the hospitals, the port health and the health training institutions to strictly ensure that food and drink vendors where applicable, maintain high standard of hygiene and provide adequate hand washing facilities at vantage points as well as properly dispose off their waste.

We would like to kindly reiterate to our members and the general public that, the key measures to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana are:

a) Strictly wearing of appropriate face masks at all times;

b) Frequent hand washing with soap under clean running water at all times;

c) Sanitizing of hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers with 70% alcohol;

d) Observing social distancing between you and others at least 1 metre apar at all times;

e) Strictly observing hygienic cough etiquette at all times;

f) Sanitary disposal of used personal protective equipment (PPEs) such as used face masks and tissue papers into appropriate waste bins.

We edge all our members (Health Sector Environmental Health Officers) to remain calm and carry out their duties diligently and professionally. We are assuring the MOH/GHS/CHAG and other Quasi Health facilities and stakeholders of our commitment to support all the collective efforts at combating the spread of the infection in our communities, in fighting this common enemy, the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

For correspondence, please do not hesitate to kindly contact the following Executives;

Ms. Doreen Danso (National President, 0244215670)

Ms. Indatu Muniru Danjuma (General Secretary, 0244881061)

Mr. Samuel Yaw Agyemang-Badu (National Vice President, 0244371065)

Mr. Ebenezer Nsiah (National P.R.O, 0540771860)