Report open defecation offenders – Minister

Mr Albert Abongo, the Upper East Regional Minister, has called on the public to report people who engage in open defecation to the appropriate authorities to help promote good sanitation in the region.

Mr Abongo said good sanitation is crucial to improving the health and wellbeing of the society.

The Regional Minister said this at the 2016 World Toilet Day held at the Bolgatanga Lorry station.

The event was on the theme: “Stop Open Defecation, own a household latrine now”.

He said, “If people have an in-house, safe and private place to defecate, it will go a long way to improve basic social needs’’.

He said the availability of school toilets, water facilities for proper hand washing could also improve school enrolment and attendance.

Mr Kweku Quansah, the Programmes Officer for Environmental health, Sanitation Division, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (EHSD/MLGRD), in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said there is the need for a behavioural change to address open defecation challenges.

He called for stronger collaboration from traditional authority and opinion leaders and urged all landlords who covert their household toilets into living rooms for rent to desist from such acts.

A survey undertaken in the area by the sanitation unit revealed that out of 281 houses identified in a given area, only 68 houses had toilets in them.

Source: GNA