The Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has asked Politicians, Local Government Authorities and Philanthropist to desist from providing communal latrines since it rather entrenches open defecation while charging District and Municipal Assemblies to focus on campaign on the use of household toilets.
In its March 2016 Toilet Agenda Report, the directorate says there is no place for communal latrines in the current National Sanitation Policy and hence the need for stakeholders to desist from providing them. The policy only makes provision for public latrines for transient populations. Therefore there is need to stick to this policy and step up the campaign for household latrines as well as enforcement of the building code.
According to the report, the Ghana Government policy on public latrines is clear: “[District] Assemblies shall arrange for the provision of public facilities in central business districts, major commercial and light industrial areas, local markets and public transport terminals (lorry/bus stations). District Assemblies shall promote the construction and use of household toilets, including the conversion of pan latrines to approved types.” In short public latrines are meant for visitors to the city or town and not for residents. However, absence of latrines at home has been driving more than 30% of residents to turn public latrines into communal latrines. But communal latrines usually yield more bad results than good and their continuous provision is rather perceived to be promoting or entrenching open defecation in the country.
The report indicated that communal latrines do not reduce open defecation because the existence of these communal latrines is mostly the very cause of thousands of houses constructed without toilets. In most communities where communal latrines have been provided, open defecation is still very rife and residents cite several reasons for not wanting to use them. In many cases the communal latrines are simply abandoned. The reasons cited by residents for abandoning communal latrines include poor hygiene, lack of privacy, access by little children, insecurity, waste of productive tie, dependency amongst others.
The report further states that “communal latrines have been part of the Ghanaian culture and it is difficult to trace the beginnings. Successive governments – including colonial governments – have all demonstrated interest in providing communities both rural and urban with communal latrines. In recent years communal latrines are fast becoming political assets both in supporting electioneering campaigns and providing jobs after winning elections.”
The directorate therefore called on Politicians, Local Government Authorities and philanthropists to desist from providing communal latrines while it works in collaboration with UNICEF, SNV, TREND and other partners on exploring more alternative and cost effective latrine technology options to facilitate the promotion of household latrines as an extension of the Community-led Total Sanitation programme.
By: Azongo Albert | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
