By Kingsley Mamore, GNA
Kpassa(O/R), April 16, GNA – Mr Isaiah Kujo Dordoe, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Nkwanta North, has warned residents to urgently construct household latrines or risk rising cases of preventable diseases in the district.
He said the persistent practice of open defecation was fueling the spread of cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea, describing the situation as a serious public health threat that requires immediate action from households and communities.
Speaking during the National Sanitation Day exercise held at Kpassa, the district capital, Mr Dordoe cautioned that failure to improve sanitation practices could worsen disease outbreaks and place additional pressure on health facilities.
“This is a public health emergency, every household must build and use a toilet facility, without this, we are putting lives at risk,” he warned.
The DCE stressed that sanitation begins at the household level, adding that government and local authorities alone could not win the fight without community participation.
He further appealed to residents to take advantage of available support from the District Assembly to construct affordable household toilets.
Mr Dordoe however, commended residents who participated in the cleanup exercise and reiterated the Assembly’s commitment to intensifying public education and enforcement measures.
He added that communities that achieve Open Defecation Free status would be prioritised for development interventions.
Mr Nsoh Kojo, the District Environmental Health Officer, said the Assembly in collaboration with the Environmental Health Unit were providing free technical assistance and guidance on low-cost latrine designs suitable for different households.
Some of the residents who participated in the exercise expressed concern over continued poor sanitation practices, including indiscriminate dumping of refuse and open defecation in some communities.
They called for stricter enforcement of sanitation by-laws to deter offenders, arguing that education alone is not enough to change behaviour.
Health authorities have consistently linked outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases in the Oti Region to poor sanitation and unsafe water sources, with open defecation identified as a major contributing factor.
The National Sanitation Day exercise at Kpassa saw participation from assembly members, security services, traders, and students, who cleared refuse and desilted gutters as part of efforts to improve hygiene in the area.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah