The activities of some fishmongers at Chorkor Mantsulumli and Alomo Junction in the Ablekuma South sub-metro of the Greater Accra Region have exposed children under five years to air pollution.
The fishmongers, who use outmoded methods to smoke fish in the densely populated community, often produce intolerable smoke thus disturbing residents in the area.
Their activities came to light when officers of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s Public Health Department launched the 2024 edition of the Joy Clean Ghana Campaign in the community.
The officers arrived in the community while the fishmongers were busily smoking fish thus producing smoke.
Some were seen carrying their babies to and from the oven area irrespective of the heat and smoke emanating from the open fire.
The Public Health Director, Madam Florence Kuukyi led the officers to inspect the area.
To serve as a deterrent to others, Madam Kuukyi instruct her officers to issue caution notes to 8 offenders .
Speaking after the program, Madam Kuukyi said this year’s Joy Clean Ghana edition will mostly focus on air pollution under the Breath Accra project .
She said under project, 8 air quality monitoring sensors and 4 air quality note have been installed at specific locations to enable them identify the hot spots.
According to Madam Kuiikyi, the installation of the sensors has helped her department to identify Chorkor, Makola Market, Mambrobi and Agbogbloshie as some areas in Accra with high household air pollution.
She disclosed that household burning activities contribute 25 percent to the total air pollution in Ghana which puts children, pregnant women, the aged and asthmatic patients at risk.
She is therefor calling on the Health Ministry to follow up with their findings in these communities under surveillance .
