The incidence of sanitation related diseases have reduced remarkably in some communities in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

The diseases include malaria, cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea.

Ms Philomena A Mettle, of the District Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit, disclosed this to the GNA at Atampeligo during a Community Exchange visit programme organised by World Vision Ghana (WVG) to interact with nine communities, which have been encouraged by WVG and the Environmental Health Unit to implement Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)

The CLTS is an innovative methodology for mobilising communities to completely eliminate open defecation (OD).

Communities are facilitated to conduct their own appraisal and analysis of OD and take their own action to become ODF (open defecation free).

The nine communities that were given technical support by WVG and the Environmental Health and are currently implementing the CLTS are Woligum new town, Timtubisi, Azuah, Atampeligo, Chengo, Gengo, Bungudonea, Alangabisi and Asiah-Bolum.

Ms Mettle said the CLTS seek to bring good sanitation practices to the doorsteps of the communities.

She indicated that research showed that sanitation related diseases have reduced drastically in communities that have embraced the concept.

“There is a complete difference between communities that practice the CLTS and those that do not. Most of the implementing communities now control waste water from their bath rooms and kitchens and this has reduced the breeding of mosquitoes that spread malaria. It should be replicated in all the communities throughout the country.

“If this is done it will help compliment government’s efforts at addressing the monthly sanitation exercise instituted.

“We will continue to monitor and to help them sustain the status and the achievement chalked by the nine communities under the CLTS and introduce it to the rest of the communities,” she stated.

Mr Josiah Aduah, Development Facilitator of WVG in charge of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, explained that the essence of the exchange visit was to afford the community members a common platform to share their best practices about the implementation and benefits of the programme as well as inspire others.

He commended the communities that were declared ODF last year, and encouraged the nine communities to work hard to reach that status.

Giving her testimony, Ms Mavis Abamah, a 48- year- old woman from Timtubisi, said before the intervention her five children used to fall sick often but their health had improved since.

“My children no longer run diarrhoea or get cholera, typhoid or malaria which formerly prevented them from attending school regularly. With the CLTS we as women now have enclosed places to ease ourselves and no longer encounter the embarrassment we used to face when defecating openly,” she indicated.

Mrs Olivia Agelazuno ,a 38-year-old woman on her part thanked WVG for drilling a number of boreholes in the deprived communities in the district and said before that women and children used to commute for long distances in search of water in streams which did not only affect productivity but human health.