Searching for Solutions to Open Defecation in Ghana · Global Voices
Kofi Yeboah

Open defecation is a huge health problem facing Ghana. Sixteen million people in Ghana use unsanitary or shared latrines, while 5.7 million have no latrines at all and defecate in the open. This has led to outbreak of diseases such as cholera when human excreta and urine pollutes water bodies. Open defecation costs the nation a whopping sum of 79 million dollars per year.
An article published by SpyGhana indicates that:
Although Ghana has chalked tremendous progress in some of the eight areas of the development goals including MDG 7, Target 7c, which is to: “Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking-water and basic sanitation”, whereas it has already surpassed its target of 78% for water, the country has failed woefully in increasing access to improved sanitation.
Crawling at a snail’s pace of one percentage point increase each year, access to improved sanitation in Ghana is now at 15% according to the latest Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report released few days ago.
This means only 15 out of 100 Ghanaians now have access to improved sanitation, which is 39% short of Ghana’s sanitation MDG target of 54% that expires in 2015.
To further compound Ghana’s unenviable sanitation status, the open defecation rate in Ghana has now increased from 19 per hundred Ghanaians to 23 per 100, according to the MICS report.
But Clean Team Ghana is a sanitation company in Ghana that is working to change that by providing innovative and affordable in-house toilet facilities to urban communities. The YouTube video below shows how Clean Team is improving urban communities in Ghana by helping households have access to safe and clean toilet in their homes:
The company organised a Twitter debate on the 24 January 2014 to engage sanitation experts, government, social enterprises and the online community to deliberate on how open defecation can be eradicated in Ghana. The debate was organised using the hashtag #OpenDefecationGh.
In response to why people defecate in the open, Green Ghanaian (@GreenGhanaian) tweeted:
@CleanTeamGhana people don't take open defecation seriously because the sanitation court is a joke #OpenDefecationGh
— Green Ghanaian (@GreenGhanaian) January 24, 2014
Naomi Kokuro (@Naamsb) commented:
@CleanTeamGhana most people especially dont see anything wrong in defecating in the open as its been a norm with them for long. — Naomi Kokuro (@naamsb) January 24, 2014
Valeries Labi (@ValerieLabi) agreed:
@CleanTeamGhana @victoria_okoye I think it's cheap and socially acceptable everyone sees it as normal @WASHUnited
— Valerie Labi (@valerielabi) January 24, 2014
Naomi Kokuro (@Naamsb) emphasised:
@CleanTeamGhana @victoria_okoye @valerielabi no thats not the only choice but i guess people are reluctant to change
— Naomi Kokuro (@naamsb) January 24, 2014
How can open defecation be eradicated in Ghana? Ghana Wash Project (@Gwashproject) suggested:
@CleanTeamGhana eradicating open defecation requires physical facilities (toilets, latrines) and immense behavior change #OpenDefecationGh
— Ghana WASH Project (@gwashproject) January 24, 2014
Naomi Kokuro (@Naamsb) argued:
@gwashproject @CleanTeamGhana how do we do that? is it always just saying it n not taking steps to really do wat weve been saying from time
— Naomi Kokuro (@naamsb) January 24, 2014
Edu Afrique (@EduAfrique) tweeted:
@CleanTeamGhana We think that #OpendefecationGH should be made as taboo as handing items to ppl with your left hand is in GH.
— EduAfrique (@EduAfrique) January 24, 2014
Gameli Adzaho (@Gamelmag) pointed out that:
But beyond all this talk, we need to: 1. Act within our locales 2. Work together @CleanTeamGhana hope you rally us all #OpenDefecationGh
— Gameli Adzaho (@gamelmag) January 24, 2014
Asante Pious (@Asantep2005) noted:
@CleanTeamGhana i think the best thing to do is preach the provision of toilet facilities in every house #OpenDefecationGh
— Asante Pious (@asantep2005) January 24, 2014
Delali Kumapley (@DKumapley) remarked:
@CleanTeamGhana We need to educate the Ghanaians on the hazards, that are caused by open defecation.
— delali kumapley (@DKumapley) January 24, 2014
Valeries Labi (@ValerieLabi) wrote:
@GreenGhanaian #opendefecationgh I think that it starts from youth if toilets in school were standard people would grow with this as norm
— Valerie Labi (@valerielabi) January 24, 2014
Francis Kumadoh (@Kumadorian) commented:
More places of convenience must be constructed for those who can not afford to build theirs #OpenDefecationGh
— francis kumadoh (@kumadorian) January 24, 2014
Replying to Francis Kumadoh (@Kumadorian) tweet, Ghana Wash Project (@Gwashproject) wrote:
@kumadorian Agreed &working togethr to maintain public/communal facility (but shared facilities don't = improved a la MDGs #OpenDefecationGH
— Ghana WASH Project (@gwashproject) January 24, 2014
MIT Environmental Engineering student J Knutson (@JKnoot) advised that:
#opendefecationgh picture I took of a public toilet in Ashton today. Affordable private toilets are needed pic.twitter.com/UBRi79qS4X
— J Knutson (@JKnoot) January 24, 2014
Co-founder of Clean Team Andy Narracott (@AndyNarracott) wrote:
@CleanTeamGhana it has to a joint effort! A social marketing campaign backed by ALL #OpenDefecationGH
— Andy Narracott (@AndyNarracott) January 24, 2014
Nii Kwade (@Niikwade) emphasised the need for collaboration:
#OpenDefecationGh I think govt can't do it alone. CSOs, companies, schools and individuals all need to pitch in to curb the menace.
— niikwade (@niikwade) January 24, 2014
Grace Aba Ayensu (@Aba_Ayensu) complimented the effort of Clean Team:
I believe that @CleanTeamGhana is setting the example and is leading an initiative that government should support #OpenDefecationGh
— Grace Aba Ayensu (@Aba_Ayensu) January 24, 2014
Victoria Okoye (@Victoria_Okoye), media and communications expert, noted:
@DKumapley @niikwade @CleanTeamGhana Exactly — if you're waiting for the govt, you could be waiting forever #OpenDefecationGH
— Victoria Okoye (@victoria_okoye) January 24, 2014
Peter Jones (@HCPeterJones), British High Commissioner to Ghana, tweeted:
@valerielabi @gamelmag @CleanTeamGhana Start with taking responsibility for your immediate patch of ground, drains, etc?
— HCPeterJones (@HCPeterJones) January 24, 2014