By Joyce Gyekye
An observational study on face mask usage, within selected areas of Accra and Tema indicates its usage has greatly dropped. Of the Sixty nine thousand, three hundred and ninety four (69,394) people surveyed, half of them did not have their masks on.
Of the remaining half, about twenty one thousand (21,000) were not properly masked up.
This was made known at a workshop on Additional Burden of Covid-19 Disposable Face masks to the Country’s Plastic Management in Accra.
A Co-investigator of the UNDP sponsored research, Dr. Ama Essel said more than half of those who were not masked up properly had their masks hanging on their ears and necks.
About 40 % had their masks covering only their month, while two percent had only their noses covered.
The research also revealed that many people had little knowledge about the material used in disposable masks.
Dr. Essel, who is a Public Health Physician Specialist said the data indicate that the country is at risk from infections from Covid-19 and health implications of plastic waste, exacerbating the environmental impacts of Climate Change.
