Accra at risk of disease outbreaks due to waste management crisis

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has warned that landfill sites in the city have reached maximum capacity. This situation increases the risk of disease outbreaks. Solomon Noi, the Director of Waste Management at the AMA, said that conditions at landfill sites have worsened due to inadequate waste disposal infrastructure and a lack of engineered spaces to dump waste. At present, there is only one engineered landfill site in Kpone, which is not enough to process the vast amount of waste produced by the city. Another site is being considered at Ayidan in the Ga South Municipality, but if approved, it will not be immediately ready for use. The AMA is asking the government to act and find a sustainable solution to the city’s waste management problems.
According to Noi, the situation could quickly become a health crisis without immediate intervention. When it rains, the sites are invaded by water that leaks garbage content into rivers and depressions, sending it back to the city. Moreover, medical and sanitary waste is not properly managed, representing a health risk for waste pickers, many of whom are migrants from neighboring countries. To reduce public health threats, Noi suggested constructing a modern intermediate waste treatment facility, such as an incineration plant. The facility would deal with non-recyclables like baby diapers or sanitary pads, eliminating them before reaching the landfill sites. The measure would close the chain of disease infection.