By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Sekondi, Aug. 19, GNA- Mr. Aaron Ennin, Assistant Environmental Officer of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), has revealed that the Environmental Directorate has intensified the fight against open defecation in the metropolitan area.
He said the environmental directorate was using both public education, arrest and prosecution as part of the broader measures to deal with open defecation.
Mr. Ennin was responding to environmental issues raised by the Western Regional Branch of the Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe) during a field visit to some communities engaged in open defecation and the steps the Assembly was taking to halt the practice.
The M-CODe, during a visit to the community demanded immediate attention, as with no nearby toilet facilities, residents are forced to travel long distances or resort to open defecation, contaminating the environment and posing severe health risks, especially to children under five.
So far, some 28 residents were arrested and sent to court in 2024, and this is part of the measures to deter recalcitrant residents from engaging in open defecation, Mr Ennin pointed out.
He said: “We are also encouraging landlords and house owners to construct household toilets to help eliminate open defecation, as the practice in the community, especially in Nketsiakrom.
Open Defecation is a public health challenge contributing to the spread of diseases like diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid fever.
Mrs. Mildred Siabi-Mensah, the Regional Coordinator for M-CODe said the organisation embarked on the public sensitisation as part of its collaboration with the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) and other stakeholders to observe the 2025 Ghana Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Week with activities across the country.
The 2025 WASH week is on the general theme “WASH for a Healthy Ghana, Everyone, everywhere”.
She said the week would be used to highlight the importance of equity, inclusion, accountability, and partnerships in building sustainable WASH systems.
“But for us as M-CODe, we have adopted the theme “Dignity for All, Toilets for All: End Open Defecation Now.”
Data available to the M-CODe indicates that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 aims to end open defecation by 2030, highlighting the need for concerted efforts to address sanitation challenges worldwide.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders had suggested a multifaceted intervention which included the various assemblies ensuring equitable access to sanitation facilities for vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, which is vital for protecting their health and dignity.
They also called for a comprehensive approach within the Nketsiakrom community towards achieving sanitation and open defecation elimination goals, ultimately improving public health, environmental sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.
Mrs. Siabi-Mensah added that the M-CODe regional branch would upscale public sanitation to deal with the crisis in Nketsiakrom.
The absence of proper sanitation infrastructure in Nketsiakrom not only affected health but also impeded progress toward national and global sanitation targets, including the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2, which aims to end open defecation by 2030.
In a related measure, stakeholders have suggested building and maintaining household and public toilets in the community, which they described as crucial to providing residents with accessible sanitation facilities.
Others also called for complementing sanitation facilities with reliable water supply infrastructure to help maintain hygiene and reduce health risks, while others called on M-CODe to intensify awareness campaigns to promote behavioural change and emphasise the importance of sanitation to encourage residents to adopt healthier practices.
The annual WASH Week aims to promote public awareness of WASH issues and advocates greater investment in resilient sanitation systems, equitable access to WASH, and sustained partnerships to achieve national and global WASH goals.
As part of the 2025 WASH week activities, M-CODe, through its regional offices in Upper East, Northern, Bono, Western, and Volta, has rolled out a series of events from Monday, August 11th, to Friday, August 15th.
The various M-CODe regional teams, as part of the activities, would visit markets, beaches, and schools; hold radio and television discussions; and visit other notorious communities to shine media light on such places and to encourage an attitudinal change.
GNA
Edited by Justina Paaga/Benjamin Mensah