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Sanitation Ambassador, Miss Precious Boateng, has bemoaned the rate at which filth is causing outbreak of diseases, injuries and deaths among Ghanaians.

She, therefore, underscored the need for all and sundry to make efforts in fighting head-on the filth menace in the country.

The 13-year-old pupil of Shepherds Scholars Preparatory School (formally Glory of Zion) at a Dome in Accra was speaking yesterday as the special guest at the Launch of Sanitation Clubs organised by the Ga East Municipal Assembly and the Education Directorate in the Greater Accra Region.

She indicated that statistically, the adverse effects of poor sanitation were disturbing, particularly among children.

According to her, the World Health Organisation has revealed that “a child dies every minute from malaria which is caused by mosquitoes that breed and multiply in filthy environment. Alarming reports from UNICEF indicate that 82,000 children due to improper sanitary conditions in the country die before their age of five.”

“Poor sanitation, according to the Programmes Officer at the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mr Kweku Quansah, costs Ghana US$490 million every year,” she quoted further.

The huge amount spent in tackling filth, Ms Boateng opined could be used in providing educational and health facilities for children.

Consequently she described as apt; the resolution of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to ensure that Accra becomes the cleanest city in Africa to the effect that that every day was a Sanitation Day.

She pleaded with the government and the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to provide toilet facilities, potable water, waste bins for schools, markets and communities that do not have them.

She also appealed to them to ensure that food vendors everywhere practice good personal hygiene and proper sanitation, urging waste collection and management companies to also do their work well.

Again, she suggested that sanitation clubs should be set up in schools and be provided with resource persons who will frequently visit them and give them education on sanitation.

Ms Precious said under the auspices of Empathy Ghana Foundation, her campaign against poor sanitation will continue unabated because it was one that should be won.

“The major cause of poor sanitation is attitudinal. Hence, we must develop positive attitudes towards the environment and make it clean, safe and healthy for us all,’’ she added.

For her part, the Executive Director of Empathy Ghana Foundation, Mr Ebenezer Kwao, noted that the campaign for good sanitation should start with children at their tender ages so that they will grow up to become responsible towards their environment.

The Communications Director of the Foundation, Mr Philip Kumi, indicated that his outfit deems it part of their civic and social responsibility in advocating for a clean and safe environment and a healthy people.