Tema, March 13, GNA - The head of the Occupational and Environmental Health Unit of the Ghana Health Service Dr Edith Clarke, has again stressed the need for Ghanaians to observe environmental cleanliness. By so doing, she said, they would be guarding against common diseases, and thus become healthy and productive.

Dr Clarke made the call at a Health Outreach Programme organised for residents of the Padmore School area at Community One in Tema over the weekend.

The programme, organised by students of the SOS Hermann Gmeiner International College, and conducted by health personnel from the Tema General and Narh-Bita Hospitals, was aimed at giving the residents free medical screening.

While the Adults were screened on lifestyle diseases like Hypertension and Diabetes, the children were screened against Malnutrition and the child-killer diseases like Malaria and Typhoid Fever. Dr Clarke urged parents to educate their children on the need to observe personal hygiene.

She asked residents in the Padmore Community to cultivate the habit of always washing their hands with water and soap, before and after eating and visiting toilet.

According to Dr Clarke, it was the belief of the World Health Organisation that most of the common diseases in the world would be drastically reduced if people learnt to wash their hands with water and soap.

She commended students of the School for initiating the Community Service Project aimed at educating the Youth on Health issues, such as Sex and Drug Abuse.

Mr Israel Titi Ofei, the Principal of the College, explained that the students embarked on the Health Awareness Programme to raise the awareness of the need for people in their community to stay healthy. Mr Mohammed Danlardi Asumah, Assemblyman for the Padmore Electoral Area, commended SOS College for its collaborative efforts in initiating projects in the area to help improve the standards of living of the residents.