WAGGING A WAR ON INDISCRIMINATE SPITTING

In most cities worldwide, authorities are finding ways and means of combating the occurrence of diseases  especially among  children. Various policies have therefore been drafted and implemented in order to curb the incidence of diseases especially sanitation related, since these are preventable. Since children are the most vulnerable, efforts have being heightened to speed up the process of disease prevention especially in our schools hence the school hygiene and sanitation campaigns by several national and multinational governmental, educational and health-related institutions.

In Ghana, the same efforts are being put in place to combat sanitation related diseases. For some reason, all attention has been drawn to waste disposal and treatment since it is a major and visible cause of diseases. In this country, there is however one possible cause and a major threat which has escaped the attention or focus of our sanitation officers and although several people have often noticed and complained about this, nothing seems to be done about it especially in line with public education. It usually fills people with disgust!

Early in the mornings and also at other times of the day, we often see, jump over, walk over or avoid several trails or spots of spittle or saliva and phlegm on our roads in our towns or vicinity  and most especially on  tarmacs in our central business districts. People shamelessly commit such atrocities on our roads and environs.

Clearly, these are unwanted bodily fluids carrying several disease causing organisms and bacteria being discarded around, carelessly! As expected, these contain contaminants which have their own adverse health implications. We often talk about orally transmitted and airborne diseases caused by bacteria and other equally harmful pathogens e.g. whooping cough,  etc. These can be found in these saliva and phlegm which are deposited around.

Airborne diseases refer to any diseases which are caused by pathogenic microbial agents and transmitted through the air usually by inhalation of infested air containing these disease-causing organisms. Airborne diseases which effect humans get discharged through coughing, sneezing, laughing or through close personal contact. These pathogens (virus, bacteria or fungus) ride on either dust particles or small respiratory droplets and can stay suspended in air and or are capable of travelling distances on air currents.

In general, airborne diseases usually infect nasal passages and lungs first; hence symptoms related to these like cold, cough, flu like symptoms, fever, and a feeling of being ill may persist. Along with that some airborne diseases can present with symptoms of rash or bleeding spots on the skin. Many common infections can spread by airborne transmission at least in some cases, including: Anthrax (inhalable), Chickenpox, Influenza, Smallpox and Tuberculosis. We know of the harmful effects of these diseases including the fatalities.

Although in combating diseases emphasis has been placed on refuse and other waste products e.g. urine and excreta, saliva and phlegm are also potential threats to our health especially children who go playing on our roads and streets, in our neighbourhoods and even our direct home environments, picking up all sorts of things along the way including harmful bacteria, virus and fungi.

In as much as we lay emphasis on the proper disposal and treatment of refuse and other waste products e.g. human excreta, it is about time we begin to take into consideration the effects of saliva and phlegm on our physical well-being  Simply washing the hands and covering the mouth when sneezing can decrease the prevalence of contracting an airborne disease but the best remedy is to prevent and campaign against indiscriminate spitting on our streets and surroundings.

Aesthetically, it is not pleasing at all and makes our environment quite displeasing especially during the early mornings when one has to meander through several trails of saliva and phlegm particularly at our various lorry stations. Most often, the men are the guiltiest. It was a normal and common sight to see pregnant women and the elderly spitting around but these days whether young or old, male or female, no one seems to mind. Even on our roads with the moving traffic stream, it is common to spot drivers and passengers alike in moving vehicles, stretching out their necks to discharge a mouth load of spittle or phlegm sometimes to the displeasure of innocent pedestrians who get splashed with these discharges. Imagine all the contaminants! That can be really annoying and traumatizing! Those directly affected by this menace are our innocent children as usual, who crawl or walk around picking up all sorts of things they find as they move along.

Just as in other areas extensive public education has been done in the past in correcting certain ills in our society, extensive public education and sensitization should be done about the indiscriminate spitting and disposal of phlegm. The public should be made aware of the possible health implications of this rather unfortunate practice. Our policy makers ought to also draft a bill as has been done in other areas, that will give out punishments to anyone caught spitting indiscriminately.

Let us learn to be conscious of our actions. Whatever we do or fail to do affect us all. If the public is being educated on the proper disposal of refuse to ensure a clean and healthy environment, spittle and phlegm are not pleasing substitutes.

Anna Esi Hanson (nnhanson2@yahoo.com); esociocomm.blogspot.com.