THE PREVALENCE OF OPEN DEFECATION IN THE TOLON DISTRICT IN GHANA

Abstract

Poor sanitation practices are a major health concern for most countries. The prevalence of open defecation is one of the leading factors eroding the gains towards a cleaner environment in most sub-Saharan countries. In Ghana, open defecation is seen to be predominant in rural areas. However, there is limited data on the prevalence of open defecation in these areas. In the absence of sufficient data, one cannot thoroughly assess the successes or failures in the fight against open defecation. Hence, this study aims to determine the prevalence of open defecation in the Tolon District in the Northern part of Ghana. The study employed a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional design, utilizing structured questionnaires to collect data from 132 randomly sampled participants. Data analysis was done descriptively using SPSS software. And results were compared to similar studies elsewhere. The study found that 73.5 % of respondents practised open defecation while 26.% utilised existing facilities such as latrines in their households in the Tolon district. There is a relatively higher prevalence of open defecation in the rural part of Ghana, especially in the Northern part of the country. Also, the majority of people do not have access to toilet facilities in rural Ghana. The lack of access to toilet facilities is a major contributory cause of the high prevalence of open defecation in the rural part of Ghana. The study recommends strong sanitation policies and provision of toilet facilities by the Ghanaian government to address the open defecation prevalence in the Tolon District