… As Minister Demands Drastic Action Against Open Defecation

Michael Yaw Dzato addressing journalists

Minister of Sanitation & Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has called for drastic measures against open defecation and littering in Ghana.

She made the call on Monday in Accra in a speech read on her behalf by her deputy, Michael Yaw Dzato, on the occasion of the 2018 World Toilet Day celebration held under the theme: ‘When Nature Calls’.

According to her, “The theme for this year’s World Toilet Day Commemoration, ‘When Nature Calls,’ brings into sharp focus the basic reality of where we defecate when nature calls. Do you do it in the open like what almost 20 per cent of Ghanaians do?”

“We need to make the frantic efforts to build toilets for use so when nature calls we would respond with dignity,” she stated.

The minister bemoaned that “in this age and time a good proportion of our people still defecate in the open and coupled with the perennial floods in our cities and towns during rains which wash faeces and other waste into our water bodies and living environment, we need to take drastic measures such as strict enforcement of national and local byelaws on sanitation and I urge the general public to stand up against people who indulge in such an unacceptable.”

“It is sad to note that only 15 per cent of Ghanaians have access to improved toilets and access to toilets has just increased by nine percentage points in the last 25 years,” she said.

“Stopping open defecation is so dear to the heart of my ministry and we are committed to ending this menace from all fronts, hence the launch of ‘Social Norm Campaign Against Open Defecation’ last year December in Tamale,” the minister added.

Madam Dapaah observed that “about 35 per cent of urban dwellers in Ghana patronize public toilets and whopping 19 per cent of our population defecate in the open.”

She spoke about the adverse consequences of poor sanitation, indicating that the situation could badly impact on foreign tourists choosing Ghana as their holiday destination.

She indicated that “sanitation as outlined above is important for dignity, comfort, privacy, security and social acceptance, economy, environment, and national development just to mention a few.”

The chairperson for the celebration which took place at the Mantse Agbona, Jamestown, Dr. Doris Dartey, urged Ghana to end open defecation.

She said, “We should not have to be afraid that nature should not call us because we do not have a place to respond to nature’s calls. The call of nature is a state of emergency, so it’s critical that we prepare ourselves for the emergency we know will occur.”

 

BY Melvin Tarlue    

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