Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has emphasized the need for Ghanaians to be law-abiding in respect of adhering to sanitation bye-laws to sustain a healthy environment.

He indicated that most of the Out-Patient-Department (OPD) attendances, recorded annually by health facilities were sanitation-related, in spite of the numerous campaigns and outreach programmes to reverse the trend.

Dr. Agyemang-Mensah said ensuring good sanitation was critical to addressing the recurrent related diseases such as cholera, malaria, typhoid; adding that, the huge funds used in curbing those diseases could be channeled for other development purposes.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the Regional Sanitation Taskforce at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi.

“A Clean Ghana is a Better Ghana”, was the theme.

The Force, would, among other things, be expected to liaise with stakeholders to maintain a healthy environment in the Region.

The Minister said government was determined to achieve the Millennium Development Goal on sanitation and, therefore, had committed the needed resources to raise awareness about the effects of poor sanitation.

The citizenry, he said, should also play their roles responsibly by refraining from actions and practices that degraded the environment.

Mr. Samuel Sarpong, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, tasked the Force to be duty-conscious and focused to achieve their objectives.