Ghana among world top 10 countries without decent toilets
Ghana is among the top 10 countries worldwide with the highest
percentage of its population without decent toilets, a new report has
suggested.
The report indicates that 85.7 of the Ghanaian population is without decent toilets. This equals about 23 million people who suffer the fear and indignity
of relieving themselves in the open or in unsafe or unhygienic toilets.
According to the report, the lack of decent toilets around the world prevents women and girls from fulfilling their potential.
The report titled, ‘Out of Order’ was released by WaterAid, an
international Non-Governmental Organization on its 2017 state of the
world’s toilets.
“Out of Order” is WaterAid’s third-annual analysis of the world’s
toilets. It reveals that globally, one in three people still have
nowhere decent to go to toilet, and demonstrates how women and girls
bear the brunt of this global crisis. For more than 1.1 billion women
and girls, this injustice results in an increased risk of poor health,
limited education, harassment and even attack.
Among the other findings, all 10 of the world’s worst countries for
access to basic sanitation are in sub-Saharan Africa, where only 28 per
cent of people have decent toilet, and children here are 14 times more
likely to die before the age of five than in developed regions.
The statement indicated that in Djibouti, a major route for refugees
from the Yemen war, has the worst figures for open defecation, with a
7.2% increase since 2000.
The report stated “Cambodia has emerged from decades of conflict to
become one of the fastest growing economies in Asia. It comes second for
progress in reducing open defecation as well as improving access to
basic sanitation.”
Miss Nyaku recalled “Between 2000 and 2015, the number of people in
the world defecating in the open dropped from 1.2 billion (20% of the
global population) to 892 million (12%). Despite this progress, it is
still a huge problem, resulting in enough faeces to fill seven bathtubs
every second going into the environment untreated”.
She said Ghana recently launched a sanitation campaign aimed at
addressing the poor sanitation situation, and that, WaterAid Ghana
feared that “without adequate funds, the plans outlined to fight the
sanitation menace may not be fully implemented.”
The Communication and Campaign Officer said “in commemoration of
World Toilet Day, WaterAid Ghana is calling on government to invest more
money and spend it transparently and efficiently, paying particular
attention to the needs of women and girls”.
According to her, the NGO further entreats government to promote the
value of sanitation for gender equality and female empowerment, and
involve women as leaders to ensure solutions address the challenges
women and girls face. “Improve coordination to create gender-friendly
toilets in all schools, healthcare facilities, work environments and
public spaces.” She added.
She said WaterAid also calls on government to “combine plans to improve
access to sanitation with efforts to redistribute water and hygiene
work, which is predominantly the responsibility of women and girls.”
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