By Philip Tengzu
Wa (UW/R), April 26, GNA – The Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe) has inaugurated a branch in the Upper West Region to scale up its anti-Open Defecation (OD) campaign towards ending the menace in the country.
The M-CODe was formed in 2018 through the World Vision Ghana (WVG) – Kings Hall Media sanitation campaigns to forge a stronger coordinated media front in support of the fight against open defecation.
It was to build the capacity of the media to advocate improved sanitation services and practices in the country with a special focus on eradicating the menace with support of all stakeholders.
Speaking at the launch of the Coalition and strategic stakeholder engagement in Wa, Mr Peter Maala, the Upper West Regional Coordinating Director, who represented the Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Yakubu, said M-CODe’s presence in the region would serve as a catalyst for spreading the message against OD practice.
“It is my considered view that the active involvement of the media in the campaign against Open Defecation, in no doubt, will bring the needed education against the practice to our people,” he said.
Mr Maala expressed the hope that through the effective collaboration between the media, the Regional Coordinating Council and state and non-state actors, they would proffer remedy to the menace and general sanitation situation in the region.
Data from the Upper West Regional Environmental Health and Sanitation Department indicates that the region had achieved 70.61 per cent Open Defecation Free (ODF) coverage with 824 out of 1,167 communities attaining ODF status.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, the National Convener, M-CODe, said despite the progress made by the Government, with support from international organisations like the WVG and the Global Water Challenge to improve sanitation and hygiene, the country still faced challenges in addressing the root causes of open defecation.
He identified limited access to safe water and sanitation, and cultural and social norms that perpetuated open defecation practice as some of the challenges.
“The country has a long way to go in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of ending open defecation by 2030, and continued advocacy and investment are needed to address this critical public health issue,” he said.
Mr Ameyibor indicated that the Coalition was, thus, entrusted with the responsibility of raising awareness about the negative impacts of OD on public health, the environment and human dignity.
It was also responsible for promoting the construction and use of safe and private sanitation facilities, encouraging behaviour change and community-led total sanitation approaches, and supporting policy and advocacy efforts to prioritise sanitation and hygiene among others.
He said the M-CODe recognised that achieving SDG- 6 on increase in toilet use required coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, including the media, hence the M-CODe 2024 Anti-Open Defecation Nationwide Advocacy, which also aims to revitalise public education on the ending the menace by 2030.
Mr Ameyibor commended WVG and Kings Hall Media for consistently supporting the activities of M-CODe to achieve its objectives.
The Coalition also launched the M-CODe 2024 Open Defecation Free Manifesto to court the attention of political leaders to the sanitation needs of the people in the preparation of their 2024 election manifestos.
Mr Caesar Abagali, the Upper West Regional M-CODe Coordinator, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency gave an assurance that members in the region would collaborate effectively with the relevant stakeholders to fight menace.
GNA