The absence of toilet facilities in Twapiase Senior High School ,several households and public basic schools in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region has emerged as a major public health and sanitation concern, with district authorities warning that the situation is exposing thousands of pupils to serious health risks.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie Central, Mr. Emmanuel Obeng-Agyemang, has described the sanitation deficit as alarming, revealing that a number of households,public educational institutions, including Twapiase SHS, continue to operate without basic toilet facilities.
– to him According, the district, which has Jacobu as its capital and comprises 216 communities, continues to grapple with inadequate sanitation infrastructure, resulting in widespread open defecation in many communities.
Media Coalition Visit.
The DCE made the disclosure when the Ashanti Regional Chapter of the Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODE) paid a working visit to the District Assembly to assess budgetary allocations, implementation challenges and interventions aimed at eliminating open defecation and improving access to sanitation facilities.
The visit formed part of efforts by the coalition, supported by World Vision Ghana to monitor progress towards achieving improved sanitation and promoting the construction of household and institutional toilet facilities across the district.
Schools Without Washrooms.
Mr. Obeng-Agyemang disclosed that investigations conducted by the Assembly revealed that in several school infrastructure projects, contractors failed to include toilet facilities in their construction plans, leaving many schools without essential washrooms.
“It is unacceptable for schools to operate without toilets, especially a senior high school. The situation at Twapiase SHS is worrying and requires immediate intervention,” he stressed.
He noted that the lack of sanitation facilities not only affects teaching and learning but also exposes students and staff to health hazards and compromises their dignity.
Open Defecation Challenge
The DCE further revealed that about 75 percent of households in the district do not have household toilet facilities, compelling many residents to practise open defecation.
He warned that the situation poses significant environmental and public health threats, including the spread of sanitation-related diseases, while undermining government efforts to improve health outcomes and educational standards.
According to him, addressing the sanitation crisis requires collective efforts from government agencies, development partners, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and community members.
Assembly’s Intervention
To reverse the trend, Mr. Obeng-Agyemang disclosed that the District Assembly plans to supply building materials to households and communities to support the construction of toilet facilities.
He said the Assembly is also seeking assistance from the government, development partners, non-governmental organisations, corporate institutions and philanthropists to provide modern sanitation facilities for schools and communities currently without them.
He expressed optimism that with adequate support, the district could significantly reduce open defecation and improve public health.
Health Concerns
The District Environmental Health Analyst, Mr. Dennis Klu, described the absence of toilet facilities in schools as a serious public health emergency.
According to him, many pupils are forced to use nearby bushes to ease themselves, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks, environmental pollution and unsafe conditions for schoolchildren.
He stressed that access to proper sanitation remains fundamental to protecting the health, safety and dignity of learners.
“Improving sanitation facilities in schools is critical if we are to safeguard the wellbeing of pupils and create a healthier learning environment,” he said.
New Policy for Contractors
Meanwhile, the Assistant Development Planning Officer for the district, Mr. Ansu Benedict, announced that the Assembly has introduced a policy requiring all contractors handling new educational infrastructure projects to include toilet facilities as part of their designs.
He indicated that the policy has already begun yielding positive results, with most newly constructed primary schools now equipped with modern toilet facilities.
However, he admitted that many older schools remain without adequate sanitation infrastructure and urgently require rehabilitation and investment.
Residents Appeal
Residents of the district have appealed to the government and other stakeholders to treat the sanitation crisis as a matter of urgency.
They argued that no child should be compelled to study in a school without access to decent toilet facilities, describing sanitation as a fundamental requirement for quality education.
According to them, providing toilets in schools and communities would improve hygiene, reduce the incidence of sanitation-related diseases, increase school attendance, protect the dignity of pupils and support the district’s efforts to achieve open defecation-free status.
They further called on corporate organisations, development agencies and benevolent individuals to partner with the District Assembly in addressing what they described as one of the district’s most pressing social and public health challenges.
