Accra, Sept. 12, GNA - The first ever World Clean-up 2012 Get-together Conference to encourage people to refrain from discarding waste in public places has been launched in Accra.

The conference on the theme: "Let's do it Ghana" is scheduled for March 2012 to be attended by environmental and health officials from the West

African Sub-Region to share ideas on the previous clean-up exercises in their respective countries and marshal support for the 2012 exercise. The West African Regional conference being organised by Junior Chamber

International (JCI) Ghana is expected to attract 100 delegates across the globe to help deliberate on issues confronting countries as well as educate the public on the need to keep the environment clean.

Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, launching the conference said, lack of voluntary clean-up exercises in the communities had resulted in increase in diseases than in the past.

He said waste management also posed a threat to government finances since funds would be allocated to deal with the problem.

"There is the need for a complete change of attitude if we can completely deal with the deterioration of sanitary conditions in the cities and towns," Mr Afriyie-Ankrah said.

He said all and sundry to keep the environment clean to eliminate diseases such as malaria and cholera.

Mr Afriyie-Ankrah said waste must be seen as a resource that could be transformed into valuable material for national development through recycling, recovering as well as re-using of materials that could generate income for the country and also serve as a source of employment for the youth to reduce unemployment in the country.

The Deputy Minister reiterated government's efforts to ensure effective and sustainable management of waste in the country.

Dr Benony K. Kortatsi, Director of Science, Technology and Innovation in an address read on behalf of Ms Shirley Aryeetey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, said United Nation Children's Educational Fund and World Health Organisation joint monitoring research conducted in 2008 paid a gloomy picture on waster management in Ghana.

This was because every public space in the country including the beaches and the streets were littered with filth and old pile of debris and garbage that resulted in rampant illness with government spending more on drugs to prevent diseases.

She said the recent science congress held in Ghana identified attitudinal problem as the main cause of littering on the streets, beaches, public places as well as various homes and urged those involved to desist from that act to help redeem the country's good image.

Mr Julius Azumah, Assistant Director at Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), who represented Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, AMA Chief Executive, said sanitation challenges had become a bane of development that could make majority of workers unable to cater for the families.

He called for intensified enforcement of sanitation and environmental laws and bye-laws to check indiscriminate disposal of garbage in the communities

Mr Abraham Nana Kow Acquaye, National President of JCI, said the organisation was a world-wide non-political and non-sectarian youth service organisation established to create positive changes in the world.

In addition, it was to provide development opportunities that would empower young people to create positive change. Mr Acquaye said the organisation would seek targeted solutions to unique problems in the communities to build a better world and create global impact.