Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) has started a fumigation and disinfection exercise in communities affected by the recent floods in the Western Region.
The exercise is aimed at reducing the risk of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and malaria that could spread as a result of the flooding.
The initiative forms part of Zoomlion’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and is intended to support efforts to protect residents from possible health threats following the floods.
The exercise began in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis (STMA) and the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality (EKMA). It is expected to cover all 14 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Western Region.
Speaking to journalists in Takoradi, Western Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Patrick Akorful, urged residents to cooperate with the fumigation teams.
“We ask the public to welcome our teams as they move through communities and facilities. This is a free emergency service, and our sole aim is to safeguard public health,” he said.
The teams are targeting stagnant water and other areas that could become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other disease-carrying organisms.
Some residents have welcomed the exercise, saying the stagnant water left behind by the floods has increased the number of mosquitoes in their communities.
A resident of Kwesimintsim, Grace Mensah, said the intervention had brought relief to residents, particularly families with children.
“Seeing the Zoomlion team spray around us brings great comfort. We truly appreciate this swift intervention,” she said.
Local authorities and environmental health officials have also welcomed the exercise.
Assembly Member for Cassava Farm, Abraham Rex Kotobebi, commended Zoomlion for the intervention, saying it would support the environmental sanitation work being carried out by the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly.
Western Regional Environmental Health Analyst, Benjamin Baah, also described the exercise as important in helping to prevent the spread of diseases in flood-affected communities.
He said the fumigation exercise would strengthen preventive health efforts in areas affected by the recent floods.
