Public health disinfection campaigns launched in Ghana and Sierra Leone

Public health authorities and private entities in West Africa are conducting disinfection and pest control operations to mitigate disease risks.

In Ghana, Zoomlion Ghana Limited conducted a two-day disinfection and disinfestation exercise in the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality. The initiative targeted public markets, lorry parks, and municipal assembly premises to control disease vectors like mosquitoes and flies. The company stated the intervention was a response to environmental health concerns caused by the rainy season and recent flooding, which can create breeding grounds for malaria, cholera, and typhoid.

In Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide fumigation campaign across all public hospitals. This initiative is part of the ‘300 Days of Activism’ campaign, which seeks to reduce maternal and child mortality. The program involves the deployment of 124 trained vector and pest control officers to eliminate preventable healthcare-associated infections, specifically targeting sepsis, which remains a primary driver of maternal and child deaths in the country.