Tema-Ghana, March 30, CDA Consult – Open Defecation, which is common across the country still poses a danger to Ghana’s water quality, Mr. Joseph Korto, National Dean of Presiding Members, has reiterated stressing that water pollution can cause typhoid, cholera, and other health problems that could ultimately result in fatalities.
In order to cure the social canker, he called for an intensification of the battle against open defecation, Mr Korto stated while speaking on the subject “The role of Presiding Members in ending Open Defecation in their various jurisdictions.”
Mr. Korto warned all Presiding Members to step up public education campaigns in their areas of responsibility to educate Ghanaians about the harmful effects of open defecation on human health.
Mr. Korto who is also the Presiding Member of Tema Metropolitan Assembly stated at the commemoration of the 2023 World Water Day organized by the Media Coalition against Open Defecation (M-CODe) in collaboration with the Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office.
The M-CODe commemoration of the 2023 World Water Day, was on the theme: “Let’s Kill Open Defecation today! before it Kills us tomorrow”.
It forms part of the national “M-CODe 2023 Anti-Open Defecation Nationwide Advocacy” which is a relentless national campaign aimed at ending the practice of defecating in the open, rather than in a toilet is linking the problems of water to open defecation.
The National Dean of Presiding Members bemoaned the rate at which businesses, stores, and homes in the Tema enclave lack restrooms.
He urged Presiding Members to intensify education on the need for household toilets and intensifies the fight against open defecation.
Mr. Emmanuel Addai, Knowledge Management Expert, at the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Water Project noted that the provision of school toilets was in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six which talks about water and sanitation, and SDG four which covers improved learning environments, including health and sanitation.
Mr. Addai indicated that the facilities including the households’ ones aimed at reducing open defecation in the country and particularly in schools, especially public basic schools, inculcate in children the habit of always using a toilet, and minimize possible outbreaks of diseases and preventable infections in schools.
The school toilet facilities, he said have separate toilet rooms for males, females, and teachers, as well as changing, and shower rooms for females, water closet toilets and septic tanks, squat plate toilets for easy access to pupils with disabilities, and disability-friendly access.
Mr. Francis Ameyibor, M-CODe National Convener stressed that open defecation is a threat to the purity of water bodies and the environment and called for joint efforts and accelerated action to eradicate the problem.
He said M-CODe seeks to draw the attention of Ghanaians and the global community that the world cannot experience a healthy environment and drink safe water amid Open Defecation, which has now become a major problem in most developing countries.
The M-CODe National Convener stated that the practice is common where sanitation infrastructures are not available, and the first step toward eradicating open defecation is to provide toilet facilities to the people.
Mr. Ameyibor who is also the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager said the coalition seeks to rejuvenate locally, the public awareness campaign toward the global target of elimination of open defecation (OD) by 2030.
He said the recognition that pollution continues to poison our air, land, and water is also a direct link to open defecation which is more reason why governments and institutions worldwide must accelerate efforts to eradicate open defecation.
On the harmful effect of Open Defecation on Human Health, Mr. Ameyibor said globally it has been associated with an Increase in Waterborne Diseases, Vector-borne Diseases, Compounds Problem of Disease Exposure, Malnutrition in Children, Child Stunting, and Gender-based Violence.
Ghana, he noted is not immune from these diseases and problems associated with open defecation and called for drastic efforts toward solving the problem.
