At least six out of every 10 people in the Upper East Region practise open defecation, with the region recording an open defecation rate of 63.7 per cent in 2025.
The Acting Upper East Regional Director of Environmental Health, Charles Yinbil, disclosed this at the 2026 Regional Hand Hygiene and WASH Leadership Summit held in Bolgatanga as part of activities marking Global Handwashing Day.
He described the situation as worrying and called for intensified efforts by district assemblies, health authorities and other stakeholders to improve sanitation and reduce the practice.
“ The region’s 2025 open defecation rate stands at 63.7 per cent, indicating that every six to seven out of 10 people practise open defecation in the region, which is too bad, and we need to work at it to see if we can reduce it,” he said.
Mr. Yinbil said household access to toilet facilities remained very low, while the region continued to face challenges with its national sanitation performance.
He also expressed concern about the widespread nature of open defecation in communities, describing instances where people openly defecated in fields and other public spaces without apparent embarrassment.
He attributed the sanitation challenges partly to weak faecal sludge management services, explaining that the region had inadequate cesspit-emptying trucks to service septic tanks.
According to him, the limited availability of such services, including the reliance on a small number of private operators, was affecting effective sanitation management.
Mr. Yinbil further revealed that household latrine construction had declined significantly following the withdrawal of donor support for rural sanitation interventions.
He said many sanitation initiatives in the region had previously depended on development partners, but the withdrawal of their support had weakened the ability of district assemblies to sustain the progress made.
He noted that some communities were experiencing a reversal of earlier gains because assemblies had been unable to maintain the level of investment and activities previously supported by WASH partners.
Beyond toilet access, he identified inadequate handwashing facilities, limited access to soap and inconsistent water supply as other major challenges affecting hygiene practices in communities, schools and healthcare facilities.
He said some household handwashing facilities were either non-functional or poorly maintained, while others lacked soap and running water.
At health facilities, he said, handwashing facilities were often inadequate, with some serving only health workers and not patients and caregivers.
He added that some facilities had been installed without reliable arrangements for replenishing water and soap, while poor maintenance further affected their functionality.
Similar challenges had been observed in schools, where many institutions had only one or two handwashing facilities, limiting access for pupils and staff.
Mr Yinbil called on district assemblies to protect budget allocations for sanitation and hygiene activities, warning that funds approved for such interventions were sometimes diverted to other priorities.
He urged assemblies and health authorities to provide dedicated funding for hygiene infrastructure, supplies, maintenance and monitoring.
He also recommended expanding access to functional handwashing facilities in underserved schools and healthcare facilities, alongside reliable arrangements for water supply, soap replenishment, repairs and routine maintenance.
He said regular performance assessments were necessary to monitor the availability and functionality of facilities, the supply of water and soap, and compliance with hygiene standards.
Mr Yinbil also highlighted the public health implications of poor sanitation and hygiene, citing the contribution of handwashing with soap, improved sanitation and safe drinking water to the prevention of diarrhoeal diseases.
He said the region needed coordinated action to address its sanitation and hygiene challenges and improve the health and well-being of residents.
A1 Radio | 101.1Mhz | Joshua Asaah
