A youth group in Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality in the Central Region named Full Operation Team, through its innovative invention has introduced a locally made dustbins across key parts of the town which has led in a drop in sanitation-related illnesses that previously plagued the community.

In an interview with Sompa TV's Eric Annan, the group leader, Mr. Cosmos Arthur, made the claim at Bantuma, a suburb of Elmina.

Mr. Cosmos narrated that a visit to the Elmina Hospital in the past, drew the attention of the group to develop a solution for the perennial disease outbreaks in the community such as typhoid, which led to the creation of the locally made dustbins made out of oil containers, affectionately referred to as 'Kuffour Gallon.'

He continued that on schedule days, his team embarks on clean-up exercises and has over the past two 2 years, produced and distributed over 20 of these bins for four (4) communities all in Elmina including Mbofraba Akyinimu, Bantuma, Ayisa, and Mpoben.

Mr. Cosmos Arthur further noted in appellation saying, "we reach out to well-to-do organizations and individuals to support in both finance and materials needed for the project."

He stressed that it is the intension of the group to extend its exercise to cover the entire Central Region but will fall on benevolent individuals and cooperate entities to achieve such goals.

Mr. Abubakra Sadiq, Vice President of the youth group equally charged fellow youths to support in communal labour, especially that in few months where Elmina will be celebrating its Bakatue festival.

Study, however, indicates that dumping of refuse in gutters, beaches and streets is steadily growing rampant in Ghana irrespective of government's initiatives which has brought about a monthly clean-up exercise across respective Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the country.

Meanwhile, confirmed records from the Elmina Government Hospital shows a 32% decline in reported sanitation-related cases between September 2025 and March 2026, compared to same period in previous year.

Sompaonline.com//Eric Annan