World Toilet Day has been marked in the Techiman Municipality with a call on the People of Techiman to attach seriousness to the need to have improved toilets in all homes.
The Techiman Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Charles Kwarteng Acheampong, who made the call said no effort must be spared in improving the current situation where out of a population of just over 182,000 in Techiman, only nearly 39,000 people have access to improved toilets.
This was at a durbar organised at Twimia-Koase in the Techiman Municipality of the Bono East Region.
World Toilet Day, marked each year on the 19th November was adopted by the United Nations in 2013 to among others inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and help achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which promises sanitation for all by 2030.
The day was originally instituted by the World Toilet Organization in 2001. World Toilet Day 2019 is on the theme “Leaving no one behind”.
The Twimia Koase durbar was organised by Sama Sama, an Organisation dedicated to the provision of toilets for all homes.
It has developed the Sama Sama Toilet also known as the Pour Flush Toilets which makes it easy for homes to install toilets and pay for it over two year.
In attendance at the Durbar were Chiefs, Municipal Assembly Officials and very few of the locals of Twimia Koase.
In his address, the Techiman Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Charles Kwarteng Acheampong, noted that if Ghana is to achieve SDG Six (6) on improved sanitation by 2030 more seriousness should be attached to the acquisition of modern toilets in homes.
Speaking to the GBC he said the Techiman Municipal Assembly with support from the CWSA and other NGOs are making a determined push to get all homes have toilets.
He was happy to report that gradually more homes are getting their own toilets
For his part a Representative of Sama Sama, Isaac Esuantse, said they have declared the next ten years as a period for all homes to have toilets to end open defecation and reduce sanitation related diseases to the barest minimum.
Later in an interview he explained how the Sama Sama toilet works.
The Chief of Koase and Mawerehene of Techiman, Nana Ofosu Gyearbour joined other diginataries to unveil one of the about 6000 Pour Flush Toilets installed in the Techiman Municipality.
The owner, Mary Tiwaa attested that life has been easier with her improved toilet.
Story filed by John Sam-Arthur
