Chief Halipha Mohammed Haidra of Amasaman Zongo in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, has urged opinion leaders to support sanitation campaigns, to help prevent communicable diseases.

He also reminded the public that diseases, such as cholera, worm infestations, typhoid and poliomyelitis could be caused by insanitary practices, and therefore, cautioned against dumping of waste, open defecation and pollution of water bodies.

Chief Mohammed Haidra was interacting with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on disregard for safe disposal of waste in the municipality, especially the municipal capital, Amasaman.

He noted that although the government alone could not ensure sanitation and environmental preservation, it behooved on the municipal assembly to make sanitation a top priority by providing public toilets in strategic locations.

According to him, the few public toilets at Amasaman, the Ga West Municipal capital, were not enough to cater for the people, adding that, refuse containers were also not enough to help curb indiscriminate littering of refuse.

Chief Mohammed Haidra noted that filth which has engulfed some parts of the municipality was becoming a potential health hazard, in spite of the government's campaign on sanitation, to make sure that the people adapted to a more hygienic lifestyle.

He urged landlords in the municipality not to shirk their responsibility to provide toilet facilities in their homes, to reduce the pressure on the public facilities.