“There is an urgent need for local assemblies to coordinate efforts to re-zone all districts and electoral areas for accessible placement of dustbins, facilitating proper garbage disposal and ensuring environmental cleanliness.
The sanitation challenges facing the country have reached critical levels, necessitating collaborative efforts from traditional leaders, religious figures, and the government to address them effectively.
Dr. Otoo Derrick Essampong, Executive Director of Sanitation Ghana, emphasized these points during an interview on Ahotor 92.3 FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show in Accra.
Presently, Ghana’s sanitation situation is dire, with only 25% of the population having access to basic services, 57% utilizing shared or public facilities, and 18% still practicing open defecation.
Dr. Essampong stressed the imperative for citizens to actively engage in sanitation activities within their communities to mitigate the risk of epidemics. Neglecting such efforts could lead to dire consequences, reinforcing the call for collective action to maintain cleanliness in cities, towns, and villages.
However, Ghana lacks a coherent urban basic sanitation strategy and plan, with various approaches remaining disjointed and poorly monitored. Urban sanitation promotion faces unique challenges due to the cosmopolitan and multicultural nature of urban settlements.
Community leaders and local government institutions struggle to mobilize citizens effectively for collective action, while behavior change initiatives remain limited. Consequently, the country grapples with high-risk sanitation behaviors, including open defecation.
Moreover, millions of Ghanaians face significant health risks due to inadequate sanitation infrastructure. Despite efforts to improve water supply systems since the 1990s, sanitation conditions have seen minimal improvement, with 76% of households still consuming contaminated water.
The lack of proper sanitation facilities, particularly in rural and urban areas, exacerbates the problem, leading to increased open defecation and environmental pollution. Diseases such as diarrhea claim thousands of lives annually, with a significant portion attributed to poor sanitation and hygiene practices.
Inadequate waste disposal infrastructure further compounds the issue, resulting in littering, flooding, and contamination of water bodies. Despite government initiatives to improve sanitation access and awareness, challenges persist due to insufficient policy implementation and enforcement at the local level.
Addressing these systemic issues requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including policymakers, community leaders, and citizens, to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for all.
AYM Kukah E-Mail:kukahalexander7@gmail.com
