Open defecation is a health hazard – Lecturer

Engineer Mrs. Asantewaa Tanor, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Civil Engineering, Ho Technical University (HTU), noted that open defecation was not only a health hazard, but also made women and girls vulnerable to attacks and assaults.

She therefore urged individuals, churches, organizations and communities to treat the provision of toilets as their topmost priority.

Madam Tanor who was speaking at a ceremony to mark World Toilet Day celebration at Adaklu Kodzobi in the Adaklu District, noted that provision of toilets in schools also helped keep girls in school during their menstruation.

The Day, which was organised by the Civil Engineering Department of HTU was on the theme “valuing toilets”.

The world toilet day was said to be the initiative of a certain Jack Sim from Singapore who founded the World Toilet Organization, an NGO in the year 2001.

The United Nations General Assembly in its 67th session on July 24, 2013 passed a resolution by which it designated November 19 every year as World Toilet Day.

One hundred and twenty-two member states adopted the resolution.

Madam Tanor said the Day was aimed to create and spread awareness about ideal sanitary practices that promote the health, hygiene and safety of all, especially women.

She hinted that about 3.6 billion people in the world were currently without safely managed sanitation and toilets.

She described the situation as worrying, adding “we must therefore not brush aside the issue of toilets and keep it in the dark.”

Madam Tanor urged those who had toilets in their homes, work places and communities to keep them clean and hygienic always.

Togbe Dzegblade IV, chief of the community, was grateful to the Department for selecting his community among the lot, to celebrate the Day.

He expressed the hope that the bond between the community and the University would be strengthened.

Togbe Dzegblade said the community had a 20-seater functional water closet toilet and urged the people to patronise and always kept it neat. GNA