The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has proposed the construction of a state-of-the-art incineration plant to handle non-recyclable waste such as sanitary pads, diapers, and medical waste, as part of urgent efforts to break the cycle of disease transmission and avert a looming public health crisis in the capital.

Engineer Solomon Noi, Director of Waste Management at the AMA, made the recommendation during a working visit by the Parliamentary Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources to various assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.

He warned that Accra’s waste management system was at a critical breaking point, as existing landfill sites have reached full capacity, and the city lacks adequate engineered alternatives.

“The sustainable solution is for the government to invest in an intermediate treatment facility, specifically, a state-of-the-art incineration plant...Pathogens would be destroyed in the furnace before the bottom ash is transferred to a landfill site. That’s how we break the cycle of disease infection,” Mr. Noi said.

Mr. Noi explained that the city was currently transporting waste to distant locations such as Nsawam and Kpone, adding that many of these sites were not engineered to safely manage solid waste, raising concerns about environmental contamination, especially during the rainy season.

“When it rains, leachate seeps into rivers and low-lying areas and eventually flows back into the city, and this poses a major health risk and could trigger outbreaks of waterborne diseases," he said.

He disclosed that the only engineered landfill site available to the capital was at Kpone, while a new site is being considered at Ayidan in the Ga South Municipality.

He stressed that comprehensive environmental assessments must be completed before that location can be developed.

In addition to structural challenges, Mr. Noi highlighted concerns about the unsafe handling of medical and sanitary waste.

According to him, such waste was not separated from general waste and often ends up at the same disposal sites, where it is scavenged by waste pickers, many of whom are undocumented migrants and reintroduced into the urban environment.

“All the hospital and healthcare waste ends up at the same dumping sites, and these waste pickers often collect and return to the city, contributing to recurring outbreaks of diseases like cholera and typhoid, ” he said.

Mr. Noi urged the government, private sector players, and development partners to collaborate in making the proposed facility a reality, noting that such investment would serve both current and future generations by ensuring a cleaner, safer, and more resilient urban environment.

The Parliamentary Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources promised to organise a stakeholders forum, with possible recommendations to Parliament to prioritise funding and policy support for sustainable waste management infrastructure across Ghana.