Agbogbloshie Market is undergoing intensified sanitation enforcement as authorities work to address persistent public health concerns that have affected trading activities in the area.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Public Health Director, Florence Kuukyi, said the Assembly has spent the past four months working in the market, but significant work still remains.
Speaking in an interview on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM, Mrs Kuukyi explained that the Assembly’s immediate focus is to fully sanitise Agbogbloshie before extending the exercise to other markets across the capital.
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but we are understaffed,” she said.
According to her, sanitation officers have remained stationed in the market for months due to the scale of challenges uncovered during inspections.
“We have spent about four months in Agbogbloshie, but there is still a lot to do. My aim is to sanitise Agbogbloshie Market before we move to other places,” she stated.
Mrs Kuukyi noted that the market is one of nine major markets under the AMA’s jurisdiction, but the scale of infractions uncovered there alone highlights the magnitude of the sanitation challenge.
“There are nine different markets, but look at the discoveries in Agbogbloshie alone,” she said.
The Public Health Director emphasised that poor sanitation and unsafe food practices could undermine public confidence in the market and reduce patronage.
“These issues, if not addressed, can lead to low patronage because once people see them, they will desist from buying,” she explained.
As part of the enforcement exercise, the Assembly has carried out inspections and arrests targeting sanitation and food safety violations within the market.
Mrs Kuukyi disclosed that in 2025 alone, over 100 people were prosecuted for various sanitation offences in Agbogbloshie.
According to her, 41 individuals were prosecuted for selling goods in unhygienic environments and operating without the required safety permits. Another 30 people were cited for open defecation, while 21 landlords were prosecuted for failing to provide toilet facilities in their homes. In addition, five individuals were charged for indiscriminate burning of refuse, an act authorities say worsens environmental pollution and public health risks.
Mrs Kuukyi stressed that the enforcement campaign forms part of a broader effort by the AMA to improve sanitation standards in markets and residential areas across Accra.
She added that the Assembly will continue inspections, arrests, and prosecutions where necessary to ensure compliance with public health regulations.
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