The stench of overflowing gutters, swarms of mosquitoes, and piles of uncollected waste have become an unsettling part of daily life in the Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipal. Once hailed as one of the cleanest cities in northern Ghana, Tamale is now grappling with a growing sanitation crisis that poses a threat to public health and the environment.
From Aboabo to Kanvili-Tuunayilli, choked drains, scattered rubbish, and open dumping have become a worrying norm. Residents navigate through filth and stagnant water — ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes and bacteria — fuelling an increase in malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia cases, particularly among children.
The Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipal areas struggled with poor sanitation and recurring flooding for years, significant and serious threats to public health and safety.
A 2021 District League Table Report by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and UNICEF Ghana revealed that the Northern Region scored only 42.4 percent in sanitation performance, ranking 9th among the 16 regions.
To tackle this growing crisis, authorities must prioritize the expansion and regular desilting of drainage systems across the two metropolises to curb flooding. Additionally, the assembly should rigorously enforce sanitation bylaws and impose strict penalties on individuals who litter or block drainage channels.
Health authorities blame the situation on poor waste management systems, inadequate public awareness, and weak enforcement of sanitation bylaws. Despite several clean-up campaigns and investments in waste collection, the problem persists.
But while the crisis deepens, a group of student journalists from the Institute of Business Management and Journalism (IBM&J) Tamale Learning Centre is taking action.
Located in Kanvili-Tuunayilli, the students have launched a community clean-up campaign to promote environmental hygiene and public health awareness. Equipped with brooms, rakes, and determination, they cleaned the Tuunayilli Chief’s Palace and the area’s Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound — two vital public facilities serving hundreds of residents. 
“The essence of this exercise is to show leadership by example,” said Mr. Abdul Sammed Gurundari, Dean of Students of IBM&J. “As student journalists, we can’t live in a community engulfed in filth and stay silent. It’s our duty to inspire action through what we do and the stories we tell.”
Mr. Sammed said the initiative forms part of IBM&J’s broader vision of using journalism as a tool for environmental and social change. Students, he added, will continue producing reports and advocacy campaigns on sanitation, waste management, and infrastructure challenges in their communities.
“Health is paramount,” he emphasized. “If we live in an unsafe or polluted environment, it’s our responsibility to act — by cleaning, educating, or reporting.”
At the Tuunayilli CHPS Compound, health workers were visibly touched by the students’ gesture. Midwife Dora Ayamdoo expressed appreciation, saying the exercise had transformed the facility.
“Our surroundings were overgrown with weeds and littered with refuse, which encouraged mosquitoes and made patients uncomfortable,” she said. “Malaria and diarrhoea, especially among children, are among our most common cases. The students’ work has given the place a fresh look and reminded the community that health begins with cleanliness.”
She encouraged the students to sustain their campaign and use their journalism platforms to educate the public on hygiene and sanitation.
The Student Representative Council (SRC) Public Relations Officer, Koanba Ahmed Atanga who led the exercise, said the campaign was only the beginning.
“This is part of a series of activities we’ll undertake to change community attitudes towards sanitation,” he said. “Next semester, we plan to focus on clearing choked gutters and cleaning public drains before the rainy season.”
Environmental experts warn that without consistent waste collection and stricter enforcement of sanitation bylaws, Tamale and Sagnarigu risk worsening pollution and disease outbreaks. Children remain the most vulnerable, with health facilities reporting frequent cases of malaria, cholera, and respiratory infections linked to poor sanitation.
For the student journalists of IBM&J, however, the challenge also presents a learning opportunity — a chance to practice journalism for development.
Their clean-up campaign may not end Tamale’s sanitation woes, but it sends a strong message: that transformation begins with civic responsibility and individual action.
As one student put it, “We can’t report on a problem we ignore. Change starts with us.”
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