News Categories: Health

Background
Street foods have raised significant public health concerns due to the increasing incidence of foodborne diseases documented over the past decade. The alarming rate of foodborne diseases in Ghana has prompted authorities to strengthen food safety and hygiene practices. As part of these efforts, food vendors are encouraged to undergo mandatory medical screenings conducted by certified laboratory technicians.

Screening Initiative

To address this concern, the Municipal Assembly, in collaboration with Alpha Homeopathic & Botanic Medical Clinic, organized a medical screening exercise for all food vendors within the Municipality. The exercise was closely supervised by the relevant Unit within the Assembly to ensure compliance and efficiency.

Screening Statistics
During the period under review, a total of 4,876 food and drink vendors participated in the screening exercise. The gender distribution was as follows:
• Males: 397
• Females: 4,479

Screening Results
The screening results were categorized into reactive (positive for certain medical conditions) and non-reactive (negative for the tested conditions). The breakdown is as follows:

Following the mass screening, a mop-up exercise was conducted to ensure full coverage within the Municipality.
Recommendations and Follow-up
The 224 vendors who tested reactive have been advised on the necessary medical steps to take, including treatment and follow-ups. The Municipal Assembly, in collaboration with health officials, will continue to enforce food safety regulations and promote periodic medical screenings to safeguard public health.

Conclusion
This initiative marks a significant step in ensuring that food sold to the public is handled by healthy vendors, ultimately reducing the risk of foodborne diseases within the Municipality. The Municipal Assembly remains committed to public health safety and urges all vendors to prioritize their health for the well-being of consumers.

List of Food Vendors for 2023 (Click to Download)

Nkawkaw, Kwahu West Municipal Assembly – In a commendable effort to safeguard public health and maintain sanitation standards, the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Kwahu West Municipal Assembly carried out a successful operation to destroy unwholesome food, drugs, and cosmetic products. The confiscated items, estimated to be worth Nine Thousand Ghana cedis (GHc 9000), were removed from stores in Nkawkaw, the Municipal Capital.

Various items seized from offending shops to be disposed off

Spanning a period from December 19th, 2022, to March 31st of the current year, the operation was conducted in two phases. The primary objective was to eradicate expired and potentially harmful goods that posed risks to consumers.

Under the watchful eyes of the media, the police, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), court bailiffs, public health officers, and concerned citizens, the two-hour exercise unfolded flawlessly. The multi-stakeholder participation aimed to ensure transparency, accountability, and to educate the general public about the importance of consuming safe and quality products.

Stakeholders, including the media, police, and public health officers, observing the destruction process.

The Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit acted swiftly, seizing unwholesome products from various stores within the municipality. These items were unfit for consumption or use due to factors such as expiration, inadequate storage conditions, or compromised quality.

The destruction process meticulously followed proper protocols to ensure the safe disposal of the confiscated items, minimizing any potential risks to public health and the environment. By effectively eliminating these unwholesome products, the Kwahu West Municipal Assembly has taken a proactive stance in protecting the well-being of its residents.

Mr. Joseph Krampah, Municipal Environmental Health Officer, overseeing the disposal operation

The presence of the media and other stakeholders during the operation served to raise awareness about the importance of purchasing and using only certified and wholesome goods. It also showcased the commitment of the Municipal Assembly to maintain high environmental and health standards within the region.

Stakeholders, including the media, police, and public health officers, observing the destruction process.

The successful execution of this initiative underscores the dedication and professionalism of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Kwahu West Municipal Assembly. By proactively addressing the issue of unwholesome products, the municipality demonstrates its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens.

Proper burying of unwholesome items by the Environmental Health Unit

Moving forward, it is crucial for both regulatory bodies and consumers to remain vigilant in identifying and reporting any potential health hazards or unwholesome products. By working together, the community can play an active role in promoting a safe and healthy environment for all.

List of Food Vendors for 2022 (Click to Download)

A general cleanup exercise was held at the Nkawkaw by-pass in the Kwahu West Municipality on February 10th, 2022, with an emphasis on desilting the drains, sweeping and weeding the median of the Accra-Kumasi High Way, and cleaning the truck park.

Through a number of announcements made through the Information Centers, the Environmental Health Unit and the local Assemblyman educated and mobilized the community.

Hawkers, employees from the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit, and a few residents of the neighborhood attended. There was extensive drain de-silting going on, and people were sweeping the streets and other public spaces, particularly the highway hawking areas.

After the cleanup exercise, the Environmental Health Officers and Hon. Asamoah, the community’s Assemblyman, met with the participants to discuss the sanitation issue the area was facing.

From the discussions they gathered that the by-pass had become a hotbed of illegal activities. The hawkers who had set up shop there had created an unauthorized dumping site, which was an eyesore for those passing by. Despite efforts to clear the area, some stores remained open, and the majority of the hawkers continued selling their wares. Adding to the chaos were the unauthorized structures erected in-between the two roads at the by-pass. To make matters worse, heavy duty truck drivers and their mates were using the land in between the two roads as a defecating ground. It was clear that urgent action was needed to clean up the area and restore order.

They therefore recommended that the hawkers who are creating an unauthorized dumping site must be caught and prosecuted to discourage others from engaging in such illegal activities. The Assembly should continue to intensify health education to ensure that all citizens are aware of the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

The unauthorized structures erected at the by-pass should be removed, and the area should be greened by the Physical Planning Department of the Municipal Assembly to beautify the environment. Furthermore, the Assembly should task the City Guards/Police Officers to be on guard at the by-pass to arrest unauthorized defecating offenders for prosecution. By implementing these measures, the authorities can ensure that the by-pass is clean, safe and aesthetically pleasing for all those who use it.

List of Nutrition Interventions 2021 (Click to Download)

The Kwahu West Municipal Assembly has instituted measures to prevent and contain the spread of the pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Nkawkaw Central Markets in the Municipality.

The measures include the establishment of a multi-stakeholder COVID-19 Public Health Committee to enforce personal and public safety precautionary measures outlined by the Government.

Hon. Yaw Owusu Addo, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said this in interview with the media, when he toured the Central Markets with Local Government Representative, inspecting various market centers to ensure adherence to social distancing and wearing of masks.

The Local Government and Rural Development Financial Controller Representative, Mr. David Annan Boney, after the Nkawkaw Central Markets tour inspection, in an assessment urged the Assembly to fulfill their promises to the market women so that they won’t defy the rules of and adhere to the social distancing protocol.

He expressed satisfaction with the measures put in place by the Assembly.

The MCE, Hon. Yaw Owusu Addo, also urged and appealed to the public to patronise the Nkawkaw Market annex to prevent overcrowding at the main Central Market.

He also promised the sellers, who had been relocated to the annex, that he will advertise their goods for them to make sure that their businesses are successful.

The Kwahu West Municipal Assembly of the Eastern Region, has recorded its first three cases of the coronavirus pandemic.

This was announced by the chairman of the Municipal Public Health Emergency Committee and Chief Executive Officer of the Assembly, Hon. Lawyer Yaw Owusu Addo in an emergency press briefing section.

At the event, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Alhaji Issah Musah, who welcomed members of the media, stated that, the assembly has a responsibility to give accurate and reliable information to the public through the media and therefore expected the media to contribute in articulating that responsibility.

Addressing the press on the issue, Hon. Lawyer Yaw Owusu Addo indicated that, even though the public health officers in the municipality have done their very best towards the containment of the novel COVID-19 global pandemic, the assembly can confirm that it has recorded its first three cases.

“Just yesterday, the assembly unfortunately after putting in much efforts to resist any possible record of the disease, received the news from doctors per some sample tests at the Noguchi centre and the KCCR in Kumasi that three persons from our municipality have tested positive for the coronavirus disease” he said.

According to the MCE, two out of the three persons who have tested positive for the disease were on admission at the Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital, whiles the other person was also diagnosed at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

“Let me put on records that, two out of the three persons were on admission at the Holy Family Hospital here in Nkawkaw but tested positive after doctors took their samples for testing in Accra, whiles the other person also tested positive during treatment at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi”, he added.

Hon. Owusu Addo further noted that the three results confirm the Assembly’s campaign that the warnings concerning the disease is serious and real.

He has also indicated that, due to the current situation, the assembly will from Friday May 22, 2020 strengthen the enforcement on face masks wearing and other preventive protocols to ensure that residents remain secured and safe.

Municipal Health Director for the assembly, Mrs. Celestine Asante told the press that all the three persons were indigenes of Nkawkaw and live there.

According to the health director, the information in hand confirms that most patients are asymptomatic and could infect a lot of persons on the hind side.

“Now we can believe that most patients are asymptomatic and therefore the people of Nkawkaw should be very careful. We have followed up on their contacts and have traced more than 250 persons already and still counting, meaning that the situation could be dangerous but we still believe that God will help us. Let me say also that the disease is highly transmittable and therefore people must focus on wearing the face masks”, she said.

Mrs. Celestine Asante further indicated that the epidemiology of the disease shows that male infections are always higher than females. She also cautioned that persons with other comorbidities usually have worse situations and pleaded with residents to eat well.

“I will also take this opportunity to appeal to residents not to stigmatize affected persons in order to help bring the situation under control. I also want to announce to you that right after here the health directorate will begin sample taking of all the city authorities to ascertain their conditions, including the media”, she added.

Answering the issue on whether there are enough isolation centres to quarantine those traced, Hon. Owusu Addo indicated that the assembly has made available such places since the outbreak of the pandemic and therefore assured that the situation is under control.