By Erica A. Addo / Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, Sept. 12, GNA – Mr. Francis Ameyibor, National Convenor, Media Coalition against Open Defecation (M-CODe) has said the M-CODe will acknowledge contributions of communities striving to end open defecation.
He said the positive steps taken by M-CODe would help the country attain the open defecation free status by 2030.
The national convenor promised to increase awareness against the practice and expose those assuming the notorious status through the media.
Mr. Ameyibor said this in Takoradi during the launch of the Western Regional branch of the M-CODe and the Regional Strategic Stakeholders Dialogue Platform.
At the beginning of the year M-CODe started the “M-CODe 2023 Anti-Open Defecation Nationwide Advocacy,” a persistent national advocacy campaign that aimed to spark enthusiasm for ending the practice of defecating outside of a toilet, he recalled.
He added that M-CODe would revitalise regional public education efforts in support of the worldwide goal of ending open defecation (OD) by 2030.
He said the M-CODe recognised that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which called for a significant increase in toilet use, would require coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, including members of the media.
In addition, Mr Ameyibor said, the M-CODe with support from the World Vision Ghana acknowledged that open defecation was associated with inadequate sanitation facilities and the need for sustained education to improve upon infrastructure within households.
He explained that though open defecation had been practised for centuries, it cannot be tolerated in the 2ist century, hence the need for persistence in changing the behaviours of communities to establish and accept a new norm-toilet usage by everyone.
To change the rules and establish an open defecation-free society, Mr. Ameyibor hinted that stakeholders such as the Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Sanitation must revitalise and sustain the activism.
The rest are Environmental health officers in each region and district, spiritual and traditional leaders, National Commission for Civic Education, World Vision Partners, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Ghana Education Service and Water Sanitation and Hygiene.
“We have targeted traditional and religious leaders, members of the media, celebrities and public figures, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, and other key players in the environmental, health, and sanitation industries,” Mr Ameyibor said.
According to him, the strategic group would meet and have discussions on regular basis with representatives from the media, celebrities, politicians, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, and other key players in the environmental, sanitation and health industries.
Through the support of World Vision Ghana, regional branches have been set up, including the National Working Group in Accra, as well as the Northern, Upper East, Bono, Ashanti, Volta, Central, Eastern and Western Region.
GNA