The Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (AhRCC) has successfully held its 2025 Mid-Year Review Meeting for Municipal and District Environmental Health Officers across the region. The meeting, which took place on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at the AhRCC Conference Hall in Goaso, brought together Environmental Health Officers from all six (6) Districts and Municipalities to assess the region’s progress in environmental health management and sanitation-related interventions during the first half of the year, 2025.
In his welcome address, the Chief Director of the Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mr. Sampson Amoako Kwarteng, commended the officers for their commitment and resilience in improving sanitation, hygiene, and public health conditions at the local level. He emphasized the importance of the review meeting as a platform for evaluating performance, identifying operational gaps, sharing innovative strategies and fostering inter-district collaboration.
Mr. Kwarteng noted that environmental health plays a critical role in disease prevention and sustainable community development, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. He urged the officers to strengthen their field surveillance, public education campaigns and enforcement of sanitation by-laws to ensure healthier communities across the region.
A major highlight of the meeting was the presentation of district mid-year reports by the Municipal and District Environmental Health Officers. Each M/DEHO presented key data and insights on their respective district’s environmental health performance, including updates on waste management, food safety inspections, sanitation
infrastructure, vector control and health promotion activities.
These presentations provided an opportunity for peer learning, with officers sharing innovative approaches and community-based strategies that had yielded positive results. They also highlighted logistical challenges, staffing constraints and public compliance issues that continue to hinder sanitation progress in some areas.
The mid-year review forms part of AhRCC’s broader strategy to ensure effective performance tracking and capacity building for decentralized departments, especially in critical sectors such as environmental health. The Council reaffirmed its commitment to supporting officers through training, supervision, and inter-agency collaboration aimed at promoting a cleaner, safer, and healthier Ahafo Region
Mr. Jacob Adade Ntiamoah, the Regional Development Planning Officer, in his remarks, emphasized the importance of aligning district-level environmental health activities with the broader regional development agenda. He pointed out that sanitation and environmental health are critical indicators in the regional planning framework and contribute directly to health, education and economic outcomes.
Mr. Ntiamoah urged officers to provide timely data and accurate reports to support evidence-based planning. “Your work on the ground forms the foundation for effective regional development. Let us treat environmental health not as a routine activity, but as a developmental tool to improve the lives of our people,” he stated. He also encouraged stronger collaboration between Environmental Health Units and District Planning and Budget Officers to ensure that sanitation issues are adequately captured in Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDPs).
As part of efforts to enhance mobility and supervision in the field, Mr. Adade announced that eight motorbikes will be procured by the end of August 2025, with funding support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a U.S.-based philanthropic organization. He explained that:
• Six motorbikes will be allocated to the Municipal and District Environmental Health Officers,
• One motorbike will be given to the Regional Environmental Health Unit and
• One motorbike will be assigned to the Regional Planning Co-ordinating Unit
He intimated that the logistical support will greatly enhance mobility and supervision, especially in hard-to-reach areas. He expressed gratitude to the Hilton Foundation for their generous intervention. He encouraged the officers to maintain the motorbikes well and use them strictly for official assignments to improve service delivery.
Mr. Adade further announced plans to set up a Regional Monitoring Team that will regularly visit districts to track and assess environmental health activities, offer technical support and ensure accountability.
He disclosed that this initiative will be funded by the Netcentric Campaign, a development-oriented organization.
He noted that this team will be the eye of the RCC in the field, helping to identify gaps quickly and respond with appropriate solutions. He urged district officers to fully co-operate with the team once operational and provide accurate data and access
during their monitoring visits.
Another key contribution to the meeting came from Mr. Fritz Mensah, Deputy Director at the Ahafo RCC. Mr. Mensah briefed participants on the current condition of service under the Local Government Service (LGS). He outlined the key policies, welfare entitlements, and professional development opportunities available to Environmental Health Officers and other decentralized staff. He emphasized the Service’s commitment to improving career progression, motivation, and recognition of staff who distinguish themselves. He also encouraged
the officers to take advantage of internal training programs and to uphold high ethical and professional standards in their roles.
Mr. Mensah explained that the Human Resource Operational Manual (HROM), outlines procedures for staff
recruitment, deployment, transfers, promotions, leave administration, and disciplinary actions. He encouraged all officers to familiarize themselves with the document to better understand their rights and responsibilities as public servants. On the Staffing norms, He highlighted the official staffing requirements for Environmental Health Units at the district level, stressing the importance of each assembly working toward meeting those standards. He added that
the RCC continues to advocate for additional postings and equitable distribution of personnel to under-resourced areas.
Finally on Performance Management System (PMS), Mr. Mensah urged the Environmental Health Officers to take the Performance Management System seriously, noting that appraisals, target-setting, and performance reviews will increasingly inform promotions andprofessional development. He advised officers to be proactive in
documenting their activities, meeting deadlines and setting measurable goals.
To wrap up the meeting, Mr. Ron Obeng Kwarteng took participants through the formal report template to be adopted by all Municipal and District Environmental Health Officers going forward. He emphasized the importance of standardized reporting for performance tracking, regional comparisons and national-level submission. The template includes sections on targets, indicators, activities carried out, challenges, recommendations, and visual evidence (photos and maps). Mr. Kwarteng advised officers to adopt the format strictly and submit timely reports to improve coordination and accountability.
The meeting ended with renewed commitment from all stakeholders to strengthen environmental health service delivery in the Ahafo Region. The RCC assured continued support in the form of training, logistics, supervision and resource mobilization, as the region works toward cleaner, healthier and safer communities.
