Personal hygiene is vital for all

 THE key message at this year’s World Health Day celebrations, held a fortnight away from the official WHO day of April 7, was: “Eat well, live well and stay clean.” 

Agriculture and Livestock Minister Tommy Tomscoll delivered the message in the presence of other dignitaries, including the NCD governor and the resident WHO representative at the celebrations in Port Moresby.

While urging Papua New Guineans to grow and eat more local produce, Tomscoll zeroed in on bad hygiene habits which are a concern with regard to the issue of food security. 

“Besides ensuring that the food prepared for consumption is clean and healthy, people must ensure that their homes are clean, they bathe and wear clean clothes and maintain general personal hygiene and cleanliness.”

It is a relevant and timely message. For rapidly growing urban centres where crowds of people are interacting daily, the need for personal hygiene and regard for other people’s health are often disregarded.

Food joints are serving customers in filthy areas.  Hygiene is no doubt compromised in kitchen areas where food is prepared.

Away from eateries public transport is simply filthy; bus drivers and their crew go to work without regard for a morning shower and change from the previous day’s grime and sweat-smeared garments.  

Betel nut is still a big problem despite the ban in the NCD. 

The National Capital District Commission has the powers of the local medical authority delegated from the National Department of Health (NDoH). 

An NCDC official said some shops have complied with NCDC notices in cleaning up their premises and addressed health and hygiene concerns but there is still more work to be done around the city.

A big challenge is cleanliness and hygiene in handling the informal sector business activities “especially the betel nut vendors who are spoiling the good effort put in by both the premises owners and the city authority”, the NCD official reported.

NCDC has conducted several food safety workshops in conjunction with NDoH and other agencies, food manufacturers, importers, distributors and sellers to meet, discuss and synchronise a harmonious process of addressing food safety in the city.

These workshops were successful as all stakeholders were able to openly interact and discuss many issues and develop the way forward for everyone to work towards complying with the relevant food laws.

The NCDC has been conducting several food handlers training over the years for the informal sector economy operators and the aim is to ensure that they do their business in accordance to the relevant food and health laws and understanding its principles. The most recent training was conducted in March for about 90 participants and NCDC looks forward to train more in the coming months.

Those who attended have been presented with their ID cards and can be recognised as a trained and informed informal business operator.

Some of the main tasks carried out by food inspectors are: random health inspection on compliance requirements, attend to food complaints, conduct sampling and laboratory analysis of food complaints, conduct workshop and training of food safety awareness and procedures, food condemnations, public health awareness on food safety and hygiene practices.

Despite these efforts there are still big challenges and issues out there in terms of food hygiene practices and insanitary conditions, lack of public awareness, thus, more effort is required to ensure compliance.

Port Moresby is preparing to host the biggest sporting spectacle of the Pacific and pressure is mounting on the organisers to be Games-ready.

But it appears that sections of the community have the least concern to make their contribution to ensuring the event is a success.

This is simply laziness and selfish disregard for a citizens responsibility to live by the smallest rule without any effort at all.

All must rally behind the Games Organising Committee and the NCDC to give the best impression. The legacy left after the Games might be a pleasant one to pass on.