The Kpandai District in Ghana’s Northern Region has set an ambitious goal of achieving 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by 2026.
Currently, the district boasts 85% ODF coverage, with 210 out of 245 communities meeting the criteria.
This leaves 35 communities yet to reach the target. In 2023, Kpandai ranked second on the regional district league table for sanitation.
This progress was celebrated during this year’s World Toilet Day event, held at Buya, where the community was recognised as the best ODF community in the district. The celebration showcased the district’s efforts to improve hygiene and sanitation.
World Toilet Day, observed annually on November 19, promotes hygiene and sanitation while encouraging households to own toilets. The initiative aims to eliminate open defecation, a practice with serious health risks such as cholera and diarrhoea.
In line with the government’s policy to phase out public toilets, district assemblies have been empowered to enforce household toilet construction. The government introduced a district league table to monitor and rank progress. The Northern Region, unfortunately, has been identified as the worst in open defecation prevalence. However, the Kpandai District stands out for its commitment to the ODF campaign.
Kpandai has made significant progress, with 210 of its 245 communities adopting ODF practices, representing an 85% success rate. This was highlighted during the World Toilet Day celebration in Buya.
“The theme for this year’s World Toilet Day is dubbed; ‘Toilet, A Place for Peace.’ The theme for me is appropriate and timely because it is celebrated at the time that the assembly in collaboration with her development partners such as UNICEF is vigorously pursuing the world’s agenda,” said Emmanuel Kofi Tatablata, DCE Kpandai
The Kpandai District Coordinating Director, Chief Wumbei Zakaria, expressed confidence that the district will achieve 100% ODF status by 2026. He commended the Buya community for its exemplary adherence to the ODF initiative and encouraged other communities to follow suit.
Chief Wumbei Zakaria highlighted “The World Toilet Day was established in 2013 by the United Nations to address the global sanitation crisis and promote access to safe and clean toilets for all. It also serves as a reminder of the fundamental human rights to sanitation and safe drinking water. Since its inception, World Toilet Day has been observed worldwide with various governments, organisations, and communities to advocate and improve sanitation and hygiene practices.”
The Chief of Kpandai lauded World Vision for supporting the initiative and urged traditional leaders to champion ODF practices in their communities. Similarly, the District Chief Executive, Emmanuel Kofi Tatablata, called on residents to maintain peace, emphasising Ghana as a shared homeland.
World Vision’s Chief Field Officer, Bhanu Pathak, praised Kpandai’s achievements and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting the district’s 100% ODF goal.
“We have done some work in collaboration with the district assembly and the mental health team in Kpandai. We will continue supporting you. We have ongoing programmes here. We are working with the community. We are trying to build ownership issues, communities themselves own the process so that other agencies will not need to come here and ask them to make the toilet. It is the responsibility of the communities themselves and it’s also our responsibility. This is what we are working with.”
Buya community, one of Kpandai’s 210 ODF communities, serves as a model for others. Residents proudly uphold the no-open-defecation standard, making it a source of community pride. Students and residents celebrated World Toilet Day with enthusiasm, engaging in performances and dances to mark the occasion.
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