The training sought to strengthen the capacity of environmental health officers to educate residents on proper sanitation, encourage household toilet ownership and prevent sanitation-related diseases.

The District Environmental Health Analyst, Madam Charlotte Botchway, said environmental health officers would visit households in various communities to sensitise residents to good sanitation practices and the importance of having toilet facilities at home.

She emphasised the need for the district to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by 2030, noting that access to household toilet facilities would be crucial to attaining the target.

Madam Botchway urged residents to take responsibility for sanitation in their homes by providing toilet facilities and observing proper hygiene practices.

Meanwhile, the Regional Director of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department in the Volta Region, Madam Staller Kumedzro, expressed concern over the reported rise in typhoid cases in the district, describing the situation as a serious public health concern that required urgent attention.

She explained that typhoid could spread through the consumption of food or water contaminated with human faecal matter, and called on residents to improve sanitation and hygiene practices to minimise the risk of infection.

Madam Kumedzro said the District Assembly, in collaboration with the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department, would intensify community-level education and interventions to address sanitation challenges.

The Acting District Director of Health Services at the Afadzato South District Health Directorate, Mr Joseph Jerela, said the training focused on Community-Led Total Sanitation and the One Health approach to sanitation.

He explained that the programme provided an opportunity to mobilise communities and encourage collective action towards achieving ODF status.

Mr Jerela added that the initiative had strengthened collaboration between the District Health Directorate and the Assembly in addressing sanitation challenges and protecting public health.

He urged residents to prioritise their health by maintaining proper personal hygiene, keeping their surroundings clean and adopting responsible sanitation practices.

Some participants who spoke to Lukusi TV expressed appreciation to the organisers for the training and pledged to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their communities. They also called on residents to prioritise cleanliness and work together to maintain healthy living e