Accra: Mr. Agambire Alhassan Inusah, the Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator at the Upper West Regional Environmental Health Sanitation Department, has highlighted the challenges faced in achieving region-wide Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, despite significant reductions in open defecation rates.
According to Ghana News Agency, the department and its partners have successfully attained ODF status in 889 out of 1,167 communities, equating to 76 percent of the region. However, Mr. Inusah emphasized that weak law enforcement, a gap in sanitation funding, and insufficient public cooperation are hindering further progress.
In an interview in Wa, Mr. Inusah explained that issues such as haphazard waste dumping and lack of enforcement of sanitation regulations continue to undermine efforts. "Staff morale is low because after all the work is done, those who flout sanitation rules go unpunished. That weakness in the law enforcement slows down progress," he stated. He noted that many Assemblies do not have gazetted bylaws, complicating the prosecution of sanitation offenders.
Currently, only the Nadowli-Kaleo District Assembly enforces penalties for open defecation. Mr. Inusah also pointed out inadequate logistics and poor motivation for staff as setbacks to the sanitation campaign, with approximately 95 percent of field officers using their own motorbikes for field visits without government support.
Behavioral change among the populace is another obstacle, as community members remain reluctant to adopt healthier sanitation practices despite ongoing sensitization efforts. A reluctance to invest in sustainable household latrines presents a significant challenge in combating open defecation.
Mr. Inusah called for stronger government support, including public dustbins, recycling facilities, and liquid waste treatment plants to improve sanitation. He stressed the need to adequately resource sanitation units at regional and district levels and urged public responsibility in waste management as part of a shared duty.
He commended the government for empowering Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to manage sanitation within their jurisdictions and expressed hope that they would take appropriate steps to invest in sanitation with central government support.
Additionally, Mr. Inusah appealed for ongoing support from Non-Governmental Organizations through results-oriented partnerships to enhance the region's sanitation conditions.
