Ada: About 77 per cent of sampled households in the Ada East District engage in open defecation, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has revealed.
According to Ghana News Agency, these households, which number 437 in the survey, lack access to pit toilets or latrines, with only 23 per cent having access to such facilities.
The survey, conducted as part of a recent study on Population Mobility Mapping for Cholera Response by IOM's Ghana Mission, highlighted that these households predominantly rely on canals, open defecation, or the use of bushes and fields for sanitation. The survey covered 10 communities in the district, including Azizanya, Totope, Puteh, Otrokpe, and Azizakpe, among others.
The IOM report pointed out that communities located along major trade routes, fishing hubs, and areas with high population movement, such as Totopey, Pute, and Azizanya, face higher exposure levels. These locations serve as transit points for traders, fishermen, and seasonal workers, increasing the risk of disease transmission. Additionally, large gatherings, including markets and festivals, have facilitated choleral spread through contaminated water and food sources, with limited access to proper sanitation exacerbating the situation.
The IOM further noted that the recent cholera outbreak in these areas was worsened by climate-sensitive environments, socio-economic challenges, and complex human mobility patterns. These patterns include recent internal displacement due to the October 2023 floods around the Volta Basin in Ghana, the spillover of the Sahel crisis, and the economic importance of the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.
The survey's findings revealed that Pute had the highest proportion of households (17 per cent) without access to toilets or pit latrines, followed by Azizanya (12 per cent), Otrokpe (11 per cent), Kasseh (seven per cent), and Foah Zongo (five per cent). In contrast, Azizakpe, Azizanya, and Kewunor reported no households with latrines.
According to IOM, these findings underscore a critical gap in access to sanitation facilities across the communities, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to improve hygiene and sanitation infrastructure.