Landlords have been urged to construct household toilets to promote open defecation free society.

The Bono Regional Minister, Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene gave the advice when she handed over a toilet facility constructed by the Sunyani Municipal Assembly for the St Anselm Anglican Junior High School in Sunyani.

The Regional Minister said landlords who failed to provide household toilets committed an offence punishable by law, and warned culprits would be prosecuted accordingly.

Mad Owusu-Banahene said Ghana was determined to achieve open defecation free status, noting that open defecation did not only contribute to the outbreak of a communicable disease but an uncivilised practice, which ought not to be tolerated in society.

“But the country could not achieve any success if household toilets are not available for tenants”, she said.

She said the government had prioritised water and sanitation, saying, access to potable drinking water and improved sanitation were basic human rights provisions no Ghanaian should be denied.

Mad Owusu-Banahene noted that though the country had made significant headway towards the outbreak of water borne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, uncontrolled open defecation could trigger the outbreaks.

She advised the general public to ensure good hygiene, keep their surroundings clean and obey COVID-19 health safety protocols to prevent the spread of the disease, and advised the school authorities to keep the facility clean.