ASSESSING SANITATION MANAGEMENT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON HEALTH IN THE BAWKU MUNICIPALITY, GHANA

Abstract

The sanitation situation in the Bawku municipality is not different from that of other parts of Ghana. Most houses in the high density areas lack toilet facilities and drains. This study was conducted to evaluate sanitation management and its implications on health in the Bawku Municipality, Ghana. The study employed an analytical cross sectional study design using questionnaire to collect data. The study applied multi-stage sampling techniques to select participating households and respondents. In all, 396 study participants were selected to take part in the study. Findings from the study showed that, only two communities (Daduri and SagaboGari) within the study setting, had households with the highest number of toilets facilities representing (42.8%). It was also showed that, 71.5% of the households in Mognori had drainage system while no house had a drainage system in Helbuko. Findings from the study showed that, majority of the study participants (73%) cited that children defecate around the houses while participants (89%) mentioned that, they disposed off their liquid waste in the open space. It was further revealed that, majority of the study participants representing 76.5% said they did not have toilets in their houses because they did not include it in their building plans. More so, from the results, there was a statistical association between respondents’ occupational status and knowledge of the factors that accounted for the poor state of the sanitation issue (p˂0.001). From the results, majority (56.5%) of the study participants cited diarrhoea as the commonest diseases children mostly experience whilst 25% cited cholera. The knowledge of respondents on poor sanitation was adequate. The study recommended more health education on the need to keep good sanitation at the study place to improve people health.