Today is World Toilet Day

  1. Posted on Thursday 19 November 2009 - 09:27
    Murtala
    Image of Murtala
    Murtala Mohamed Kamara, AfricaNews reporter in Freetown, Sierra Leone
    Over 35% of the entire world population does not have proper access to toilet facilities with most of them living in Africa, estimated the World Toilet Organization. It is celebrating World Toilet Day today under the theme: "Toilets for All". The day is to raise awareness about the importance of proper toilet facilities.
    toilette
    World Toilet Day also highlights the sufferings of people who do not have access to basic sanitation system.

    According to Liberia WASH Consortium, a recent government led Water and Sanitation sector assessment report (October 2008) revealed that there are only 19,691 family latrines for a population of close to 3.5 million people. This translates to coverage of a little more than 4% when measured on a county-by county basis for Liberia’s 15 counties.

    Additionally, over 60% of the people use open defecation (in the bushes) to dispose of human waste while for those with latrines, over 45% are 50 metres or more from their houses, a May 2008 study carried out in around 1000 communities by Subah-Belleh Associates revealed.

    Some residents in Monrovia also rely on the “Mind Your Own Business” concept – defecation in opaque polythene.

    A study on hygiene related risk behavior in around 1000 communities in eight counties revealed that 62% do not wash their hands with soup after using the toilet while only 10% wash their hands before preparing food.

    This issue has been a serious challenge to the Liberian authorities and it is for this reason that the government highlighted sanitation in their Poverty Reduction Strategy Plan.

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