Rotary Club of Ho, would on Wednesday, February 11, launch a Sanitation Task Force in Ho for the Volta Region.

The launch forms part the local club’s Sanitation Awareness and Improvement Project, which Rockson Dogbegah, the Outgoing Club President, said should ignite responses to reverse poor sanitary practices and management in the Volta Region.

The project consists of the formation of an umbrella Health and Sanitation Taskforce at the regional level, and a Sanitation Awards Scheme.

It would be piloted in the Ho Municipality and replicated across the region in due course.

Mr Dogbegah said the project was in line with Rotary International’s humanitarian services.

He said the sanitation issue in the region was a “serious menace” and so it must be tackled more seriously.

Mr Dogbegah said Rotary Ho had been talking to some international donors for support, with promising prospects.

The Concept Note of strategies made available to the media indicated the Task force would have three tiers, at the Central, Municipal/District and Community levels.

Their job is to “promote an environment where all stakeholders play their roles in maintaining clean environment to prevent communicable diseases.”

The Concept note listed the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Environmental Health Division of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) as member stakeholders of the taskforces.

The rest are the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Zoomlion and the Media.

The Concept Note said the Central Task Force, as the apex managing body, chaired by a Rotarian, would formulate and oversee the operations of lower tier task forces, also chaired by Rotarians.

The Community Task Forces would be composed of Assembly Members as chairmen, Unit Committee chairmen, Community Health Officers, Community Elders, two male and female volunteers, respectively.

The Awards Scheme, is dubbed, “Rotary’s Cleanest District and Electoral Award”.

The Concept Note indicated that “individuals that have distinguished themselves in maintaining cleanliness could also be considered for awards”.

The criteria include, “ability of the DCE/MCE/ Assembly Member to mobilize citizens and stakeholders; ability of the Environmental and Sanitation Directorate to monitor, strategise and implement programmes to improve cleanliness; and ability to enforce by-laws,” among others.