Former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has bemoaned the amount spent due to poor sanitation in the country.

Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on Tuesday, August 13, he highlighted the significant economic toll that poor sanitation has on Ghana as it loses $290 million.

"Ghana loses $290 million annually—equivalent to $12 per person per year, or 1.6% of the nation’s GDP," he said while contributing to the theme "Enhancing climate resilience, safe and sustainable wash services delivery."

According to him, there is an opportunity to reduce the economic impact of poor sanitation to save the amount spent annually.

Dr Kokofu also pointed out that 4.8 million Ghanaians lack access to basic sanitation facilities, with open defecation costing the country $79 million each year.

He stressed that eliminating this practice would require the construction of fewer than one million latrines, which could lead to substantial savings and improvements in public health.

Additionally, Dr Kokofu underscored the need to reduce the number of Ghanaians who rely on shared lavatories, a figure that currently stands at around 16 million.