5,498 communities declared open-defecation free

Open defecation has been one of the challenges that has been a source of concern to many, especially in the coastal regions.

Government says it has significantly curbed the phenomenon in at least 5,498 communities.

The feat according to government accounts for the absence of Cholera outbreaks in the country.

This is according to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who at a Town hall meeting in Accra Tuesday evening.

According to him, government was able to achieve this feat under the Toilet for All Programme which has contributed to the construction of 109,000 household toilets benefitting 856,000 people.

Under the programme are six projects, which include the Greater Accra Metropolitan Water and Sanitation Project, the Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project, the Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihood Improvement Project among others.

He mentioned the successes scored under each of the projects, “The Greater Accra Metropolitan Water and Sanitation Project where under this we have built 8,485 household toilets. Then you have the Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project where 12,972 toilets have been built.

“Under the Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihood Improvement Project, the GASSLIP project, 5,000 projects are being built today.

He said under “The Government of Ghana Household Toilet programme, we’re building 1,900 toilets there and Rural Sanitation Model and Strategy programme 40,348 toilets serving 3,000 communities.

“And then under the Urban Sanitation Pilot project, 21,332.”

According to the Vice President, the government’s investment in providing toilet facilities for Ghanaians has increased significantly the percentage of Ghanaians with access to toilet facilities.

“If you look at this, the population, the data shows that the population with access to toilet facilities has increased from 14% in 2017 to 21% by 2019. And because of all of this investment that has been made in the toilet infrastructure, 5,498 communities have been declared defecation free,” he said.