The Upper East Regional Environmental Health Officer, Juventus Asayuure, has expressed grave concern about the open defecation situation in the region.
Mr. Asayuure was particularly concerned about the fact that making urban communities open defecation free (ODF) is more difficult to achieve.
Speaking to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith, Mr. Asayuure was quick to add that there is a silver lining. He explained that many tenants are insisting that landlords include toilet facilities in their buildings.
If this continues, the Regional Environmental Health Officer said, the staggering 17,000 people who defecate in bushes, open fields, and gutters would be reduced.
“One of the ways to stop open defecation is tenants demanding that landlords have toilet facilities. In my survey, I am realizing that many landlords are breaking the backs of their buildings to be able to construct toilet facilities.”
“In the next few years, I think the situation will be better because there’s now demand for it,” he said.
More than 17 thousand residents in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region defecate in bushes, gutters, and open fields.
This is according to data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census.
The data indicated that the Bawku West District had the highest number of people using the above-stated areas as defecation points: 18,901, while the Builsa South District recorded the lowest number: 5,619.
The figures relate only to households in occupied dwelling units, and only for households without toilet facilities, according to the Ghana Statistical Service.
| Builsa South | 5,619 |
|---|---|
| Builsa North Municipal | 9,464 |
| Kasena Nankana Municipal | 16,568 |
| Kasena Nankana West | 13,746 |
| Bolgatanga Municipal | 17,059 |
| Talensi | 13,765 |
| Bolgatanga East | 5,949 |
| Bongo | 17,499 |
| Nabdam | 7,897 |
| Bawku West | 18,901 |
| Binduri | 11,373 |
| Bawku Municipal | 13,578 |
| Garu | 6,645 |
| Tempane | 10,923 |
| Pusiga | 10,639 |
Meanwhile, the prevalence of open defecation in the Upper East Region remains alarming, with current statistics indicating that 68.4% of the population engages in this unhygienic practice.
This figure underscores the urgent need for comprehensive interventions and community-driven solutions to promote toilet usage and eliminate open defecation.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga
