MONROVIA, May 26 (LINA) – Mr. Abraham Nyensuah of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) has warned of a serious disease outbreak if wastes are not properly managed in and out of Monrovia, the Liberian capital.
Speaking to reporters over the weekend at NPHIL’s conference room in Monrovia, Nyensuah said that he was obliged to speak on this matter because of the alarming danger the situation is posing on Liberians’ health, especially children.
Nyensuah is the coordination Pillar Lead for the Incident Management System (IMS) and Public Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC) at the Ministry of Health, specifically the NPHIL.
Nyensuah cautioned Liberians to envision a direction they want the nation go as the wellness of the country was their full responsibility.
« We have to find a direction to where we want this country go and what we want is what President (George) Weah will do, as this country is for all of us. President Weah is just there as a leader but we own this country as a people. »
“It’s a disgrace to us as a people when strangers come to our home and say that the place is dirty, instead of bombarding them, we should feel ashamed of ourselves and make a change, » he added.
It can be recalled that some esteem personalities in the likes of the EU Representative to Liberia and the US Ambassador in recent times made statements on the sanitation deficiency in Monrovia, describing the city as « dirty », raising much concerns among Liberians.
Nyensuah said that the way Liberians and non-Liberians are carrying out dirt disposal in the streets, communities and homes is worrisome because, according to him, these dirt can bring together clusters of bacteria which cause diseases and viruses that are harmful to living beings.
According to him, Liberians are getting sick every day, and the hospitals are getting overcrowded as people encounter diseases on a daily basis as the results of the dirt and dirty water individuals throw in the streets and behind their houses.
« Flies sit on these dirt, leave and come sit on our foods, the cock-crouches walk in our dishes and we pick them up and eat, water passes through these dirt and go to our various water sources and we drink them, » he observed.
Nyensuah sees all these as factors responsible for sicknesses and deaths, mainly among children, due to their weak resistance in fighting these bacteria and diseases, adding that the recent measles outbreak was also as a result of poor waste management which if not curtailed at this time, he foresees Liberia may have an explosion of diseases soon.
Meanwhile, he has recommended that both citizens and government play their roles to avoid further health threats.
For government, he recommends that responsible institutions and law enforcement arms work along with communities to establish resilience programs such as community-based programs to educate them on how they should dispose of waste and the effect it’ll have on their lives if they dispose of the dirt randomly.
Government, he said, can also work with community leaderships to follow the laws on the book dealing with public nuisance and fine or punish perpetrators for violations.
For the public, he recommends that they work with authorities and follow laws and orders, control the spread of wastes to save the country’s image and their lives.
Salomie Weah
