The Market Women Association in the Bolgatanga Municipality has appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for more Veronica Buckets to enhance effective handwashing in the markets.

The Association made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga on the side-lines of the Regional Coordinating Council’s presentation of handwashing facilities to four Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the Upper East Region for onward distribution to markets within the assemblies.

The MDAs include the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Assembly, the Builsa South District, and the Bawku Municipal Assembly.

The ceremony brought together leaders from markets in the MDAs who were schooled on proper handwashing by Dr Josephat Nyuzaghl, the Upper East Regional Deputy Director in charge of Public Health, Ghana Health Service.

The facilities, made up of Veronica Buckets, nose masks, liquid soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizers and tissue paper, were supplied by the Local Government Ministry to fight the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Madam Linda Akupa, the Organizer of the Bolgatanga Market Women Association, who made the appeal, said the busy nature of the markets, especially on market days, called for more Veronica Buckets to enhance proper handwashing.


She said the 21 Veronica Buckets the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly intended to present to them was inadequate to serve the two major markets.

One of the markets, referred to as “Old Market” had 12 gates and the handwashing facilities, she said were inadequate to serve even one because they would not only be positioned at the entrances but also within the markets for use by all persons.

Madam Akupa said leadership of the Association would ensure that the handwashing lesson they received at the programme would be demonstrated to benefit all members and also make sure customers adhered to proper hand washing procedures.

A member of the Association, Nma Lariba, in a separate interview, expressed fear about the COVID-19 pandemic because the disease affected their businesses, especially across the neighbouring countries.

She said most of the market women travelled to Burkina Faso to buy maize but “now we are afraid and can’t even travel out for business because of the disease in that country. I am even told the disease can be transmitted through exchange of money from infected hands.”