The President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Professor Dr Ernest Yorke, has called on the government to extend its planned ban or phase-out of Styrofoam products to cover all single-use plastics.
He said indiscriminate disposal of such plastics continued to block drains and waterways, thereby worsening flooding during heavy rains.
“Plastic waste is a major contributor to choked drains, and this is obvious for all to see,” he said, adding that expanding the ban would offer a more comprehensive solution to the country’s growing waste management challenge.
Prof. Yorke made the call at the 26th Annual Public Lecture organised by the GMA in Koforidua last Friday. The lecture was on the theme: “Food Safety in Contemporary Ghana: Public Health Concerns for the Consumer.”
He explained that plastic packaging materials, particularly the thin plastic bags often used to serve hot food, posed potential health risks and contributed to environmental degradation when improperly disposed of.
Referring to the recent flooding in Accra, Prof. Yorke said the incident had reignited national discussions on waste management, especially the widespread use of Styrofoam containers and other single-use plastics.
He described the proposed ban as an important environmental and public health intervention, noting that its effectiveness would depend on the availability of affordable alternatives, improved waste collection systems, recycling, public education and stricter enforcement of environmental regulations.
On the theme of the lecture, Prof. Yorke stressed that food safety was a concern for every Ghanaian, regardless of age, occupation, income or location.
He explained that food safety went beyond consumption and covered the entire food chain — from production, harvesting and transportation to processing, storage, preparation, sale and consumption.
“Food is fundamental to life. Yet it can only fulfil its purpose when it is safe. Unsafe food not only causes disease and premature death but also undermines national productivity, increases healthcare expenditure, weakens confidence in our food systems and threatens sustainable development,” he said.
Prof. Yorke noted that lapses at any stage of the food chain could have serious public health implications and emphasised that ensuring food safety was a shared responsibility.
He, therefore, urged the government to strengthen regulation and enforcement, called on food vendors to adopt hygienic practices, and advised consumers to make informed food choices and dispose of waste responsibly.
He also encouraged health professionals to continue educating the public using evidence-based information.
Also speaking at the event, Professor Amos Laar of the University of Ghana School of Public Health said although the Public Health Act mandated the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to regulate food safety, no single institution could tackle the challenge alone.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, academia, industry and civil society, as well as the introduction of mandatory, evidence-based policies such as proper food labelling, taxation of unhealthy food products and stricter enforcement of standards.
That, he said, would help build a resilient food safety system.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority, Mr Roderick Kwabena Daddey-Adjei, urged consumers to demand safe and quality food and to purchase only from approved sources.
He assured the public that the Authority remained committed to ensuring that only safe food products reached the market.
FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA
