Professor Chris Gordon, Director, Institute of Environment and Sanitation, University of Ghana, Legon, on Tuesday said open defecation cost Ghana $79 million per year, where as it would require less than one million latrines to eliminate the practice.
He said open defecation led to epidemic disease outbreaks like cholera, especially when human excreta and urine entered water bodies, and called for concerted efforts and strong political will to address the problem.