Global community cannot experience a healthy environment amid open defecation – M-CODe

The Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe) has noted that the world cannot experience a healthy environment amid Open Defecation, which has now become a major problem in most developing countries.

The Coalition, therefore, affirmed that Open Defecation is a threat to the global environment and called for concerted efforts to accelerate action to eradicate the problem, the Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe) stated to mark the commemoration of the 2022 World Environment Day.

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, M-CODe National Convener stated in an interview with the media as captured by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema.

He said M-CODe joins the global community to mark the 2022 World Environment Day which is on the general theme: “#OnlyOneEarth,” which is a call for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet.

The M-CODe National Convener commended the World Vision Ghana for its demonstrated commitment in supporting M-CODe over the years for advocacy toward the eradication of open defecation and called on other stakeholders to join forces with M-CODe to achieve this objective.

Mr. Ameyibor said the movement associates itself with the global discussion that the earth faces a triple planetary emergency. The climate is heating up too quickly for people and nature to adapt, and habitat loss and other pressures mean an estimated one million species are threatened with extinction.

He explained that the environment also suffers as a result of open defecation as it introduces toxins and bacteria into the ecosystem in amounts that it cannot handle or break down at a time.

“Open defecation contributes to the build-up of filth as loads of microbes can become so great that, in the end, they end up in aquatic systems, thereby causing harm to aquatic life,” he said.

He said heaps of human feces or just the sight of it cause an eyesore and disgust, to anyone close, while the stink emanating from it is also highly unpleasant and pollutes the surrounding air.

“Such places also attract large swarms that make the area completely unattractive to the eye,” the M-CODe National Convener stated.

He stated that the practice is common where sanitation infrastructures are not available, the first step toward eradicating open defecation is to provide toilet facilities to the people.

He said a World Bank Statistics suggest that regions with high rates of open defecation experience a tremendous problem in terms of sanitation and improper waste management systems.

Mr. Ameyibor said the recognition that pollution continues to poison our air, land, and water is also a direct link to open defecation that is the more reason why governments and institutions worldwide must accelerate efforts to eradicate open defecation.

He noted that research data indicates that the reasons why some people refuse to use toilets have either been poverty that makes it difficult to build one or the lack of governmental support in providing such facilities.

He noted that in cases where the toilets are available, but people still end up preferring open defecation, have also been attributed to cultural issues related to sharing toilets among family members.

Mr. Ameyibor explained further that in some other cases, people prefer open-air defecation due to the associated freedom it gives them as opposed to using a small structure room or the displeasure of using public toilets that are filthy or not clean.

On the harmful effect of Open Defecation on Human Health, Mr. Ameyibor said globally it has been associated with: Increase in Waterborne Diseases, Vector-borne Diseases, Compounds Problem of Disease Exposure, Malnutrition in Children, Child Stunting, and Gender-based Violence.

He said Ghana is not immune from these diseases and problems associated with open defecation and called for drastic efforts toward solving the problem.

Mr. Ameyibor called on stakeholders, governmental and non-governmental to upscale the efforts to eradicate the problem of Open Defecation in Ghana, “some communities and districts have achieved Open Defecation Free status so it is achievable through concerted efforts”.