ENFORCE THIS BAN (MAY 24, 2010)

MANY Ghanaians are committed patrons of second-hand materials, including clothing, bed sheets, curtains and mattresses.
According to a report by Oxfam, a British NGO, the global trade in second-hand clothing is worth about $1 billion a year.
In Ghana, more than 90 per cent of the people patronise second-hand clothing.
The popularity of second-hand items stems from their relatively cheaper prices, compared to those of unused ones. In a country where the economic situation is sometimes dire, people tend to find such items more affordable.
Yet, the patronage of second-hand items such as ladies and gents underwear, bed sheets and mattresses has always raised health concerns.
While many Ghanaians may find justifiable reasons to patronise second-hand clothing such as jeans trousers and shirts, it is difficult to endorse the patronage of other items such as underwear, bed sheets and handkerchiefs.
Now, with the reported prevalence of the deadly Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, simply referred to as “MRSA”, in parts of the UK and the USA, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has found it prudent to ban the importation of second-hand mattresses, in addition to underwear, handkerchiefs and sanitary pads.
The bacterium that causes the MRSA usually colonises the nostrils. Other areas prone to infection are open wounds, the respiratory and the urinary tracts.
Initially, the disease starts as a small pimple or boil, accompanied by fever and sometimes rashes. As the disease progresses, the swelling becomes bigger and more painful and it is filled with pus.
Although the MRSA can be effectively treated, it is very virulent and spreads very fast. The fact that strains of the MRSA are usually drug resistant implies that their presence in used mattresses, handkerchiefs and underwear can pose a serious risk to people who patronise such used goods.
According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, any of those items imported into the country would be confiscated. While this directive sounds laudable, we need to caution that its enforcement may not be as simple as declared, considering the operational challenges that have been encountered at the country’s borders in respect of the importation of banned items.
The present importation of used mattresses presents a vivid picture of how challenging the enforcement of this directive could be. As indicated by the acting Director of the Imports and Exports Division at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr Appiah Donyina, the importation of second-hand mattresses into the country for commercial purposes or in commercial quantities was prohibited under the Legislative Instrument (LI) 1586 of 1994.
Yet, in recent times, there have been large-scale importation of second-hand mattresses into the country and this, no doubt, has serious health implications.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that with the appropriate monitoring and supervision, CEPS officials at the country’s borders can play an effective role to check the importation of those banned items.
Indeed, it is not enough just to sit down with hands folded, especially considering the fact that even those who do not patronise or use those second-hand items could be at risk of very infectious diseases such as the MRSA, which is referred to as the ‘super bug’.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges the Ministry of Trade and Industry to set up a task force to ensure that those items do not find their way onto the Ghanaian market.
This is a shared responsibility and there is the need for all of us to act in a concerted manner to address this threat. We cannot afford to take this matter lightly.