Tamale, April 3, GNA - Mr Alhassan Mumuni, East Gonja District Chief Executive (DCE) has observed that about 90 per cent of Out-Patient-Department (OPD) cases recorded in Ghana could be prevented if priority is placed on environmental cleanliness. "When we are able to promote and maintain clean environment as well as personal hygiene diseases such as cholera, malaria and typhoid can be avoided because most of these diseases are caused by poor environmental sanitation.

"One can save money or channel the huge monies paid at hospital to cure these diseases into other profitable ventures," he said. The DCE was speaking at the outdooring of an initiative called "Zonal Monthly Cleanup Campaign", at Kpalbe.

The campaign is an innovation instituted by the District Assembly to encourage the people to keep their environment clean and live a healthy life.

As part of the campaign every town in the district is to embark on a cleanup exercise every first day of the month to complement government's promise of better sanitation.

The day saw officials of the assembly, Kpalbe Health Centre, Zoomlion, a sanitation company, community members, teachers and pupils, desilting choked gutters as well as cleaning the environment. Zoomlion supported the project by providing tools, containers and a vehicle.

Mr Mumuni said the assembly believed that the health of the people should be paramount in nation building because when workers were healthy, productivity improved.

Madam Nihad Mensah, Staff Nurse at the Kpalbe Health Centre told the Ghana New Agency that malaria was the highest disease recorded last year, hitting about 80 per cent followed by Upper Inflammatory Tract Infection that recorded 15 per cent.

She said although the area had not recorded a single case of cholera she urged pupils to wash their hands with soap before and after eating to avoid the infection. Mr Ali Zakaria, District Tricycle Supervisor of Zoomlion said, environmental cleanliness should also a basic responsibility for all.