This year’s World Toilet Day (WTD) was marked in Ho on Friday, with a call on households to construct decent toilets and end open defecation.
The event which took place at the Ho Sports Stadium – the venue for the ongoing 5th Volta Trade and Investment Fair, was under the theme: Stop open defecation, own a household latrine now, let’s play our part in this COVID Era.
The Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa,pointed out that open defecation was extremely harmful to public health, adding that sanitation was also an issue of basic dignity and safety of women, children and the vulnerable.
He said it was time households stopped relying solely on donor and government support to put up their own toilets.
“We should also change our minds from depending on public toilets, which are often poorly managed, creating health hazards to the public,” Dr Letsa added.
He made reference to a WHO/UNICEF 2021 report which revealed that 3.6 billion people globally did not have access to safely managed sanitation, and stated that everyone’s health was threatened when some people in the community did not have safe toilets.
“All of us including the government must work with great zeal and enthusiasm to ensure toilets for all by 2030,” said the Regional Minister.
Madam Stella Kumedzro, Volta Regional Environmental Health Officer (REHO) said that although sanitation sensitisation and behavioural change activities were in progress, it was important to re-echo the need to end open defecation which was a very harmful practice.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
