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The Executive Secretary to the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), Ms Ama Ofori-Antwi, has stated that the government should make the handling of both liquid and solid waste in the country a priority by investing more in the sector. That, she explained, would help to rid cities, particularly Accra and Tema, of filth and consequently reduce the outbreak of epidemics such as cholera which are fuelled by poor environmental sanitation practices. In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Ms Ofori-Antwi described the current outbreak of cholera in parts of Accra as unfortunate, stating that it was the price the country was paying for neglecting the environment. She said the government should spend more resources on building infrastructure, as well as providing waste contractors with the needed logistical support in order to help deal with the outbreak of diseases. Accra is currently grappling with cholera. The first case of the disease was recorded in June, this year, and so far nearly 1,000 people have contracted the disease in the Accra Metropolitan and La Dadekotopon municipal areas. About cholera Cholera is an infectious disease which one gets through the ingestion of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which is found in contaminated water and food that contains trace amounts of faeces. About 75 per cent of people infected with cholera do not develop any symptoms. The bacterium is able to stay in faeces for seven to 14 days and within this period the spread is fuelled. Early warning Early in May, this year, Ms Ofori Antwi warned of a possible cholera outbreak following the shutdown of compost plants, and the AMA�s inability to pay waste management companies to continue working. She said her members had difficulties accessing the terminal disposal sites at Kpone. Meanwhile, the indiscriminate dumping of refuse, some of which invariably contained faeces wrapped in plastic bags, was also a major cause of the disease. Challenges There are no landfill sites in Accra and the national capital does not have enough sites for the dumping of liquid waste either. Refuse and cesspit emptiers use the Kpone landfill site near Tema and the �Lavender Hill� at Korle Gonno to dispose of refuse and faeces respectively. Ms Ofori-Antwi explained that while the emptiers dumped the faecal matter directly into the sea, the 90-km return journey from Accra to Tema was a huge disincentive in the collection and haulage of refuse in the city. According to statistics from the Waste Management Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Accra generates about 2,800 tonnes of refuse daily. Support She said ESPA members needed transfer stations to serve as holding areas for refuse. "Refuse collected would be kept at such stations until such time when the traffic situation abates, after which it will be evacuated," she explained. She said such an arrangement would help to manage solid waste effectively and efficiently.