Road works in Ashaiman leads to respiratory infections
Dr Mrs Esi Therson-Cofie, Ashaiman Municipal Director of Health said on-going road works has led to high rates of respiratory infections in the Municipality.
She said of the 10 top diseases respiratory infections placed second after malaria; which she attributed largely to dust generated from road works and overcrowding.
Dr Therson-Cofie said this on Wednesday in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Ashaiman.
She said in 2012 respiration infections recorded in the Out Patient Departments of the only Public Health Facility and 17 private ones was very high as compared to 2011.
She said some of the respiratory infections reported include coughs, sore throats, fever with running nose and sneezing.
Dr Therson-Cofie said malaria is also a nationwide problem, due largely to stagnant waters and reservoirs where mosquitoes breed, which allow the female anopheles to transmit the plasmodium parasites which causes the disease to spread.
She said in 2012, there was an increase in the rate of skin diseases and skin ulcers in the Municipality.
Dr Therson-Cofie said all the four diseases were environmentally or sanitation related; hence her outfit has intensified public education campaigns to get everybody on board in order to help arrest the situation.
She said the Environmental Health Directorate of the Municipal Assembly was involved in sensitising the people on improving the environment.
The Municipal Director said from time to time, nurses from the Directorate visit schools to educate students on personal hygiene such as hand washing and environmental cleanliness.
Source: GNA