Mr Amin Yahaya, Programmes Director of the Integrated Action for Community Development (INTAGRAD), has appealed to clerics to use the pulpits to preach good hygienic practices to improve sanitation in the country.

He said clerics serve as mentors and teachers of societies, hence the need for their involvement to lead the fight against improper waste management and open defecation for improved sanitation in the region.

Mr Yahaya made the appeal in Tamale at the weekend during a sensitization forum with some clerics from five electoral areas of Dohinaayili, Vittin, Nakpanzoo, Nalung, and Mohiyabili in the Tamale Metropolis under the Urban Sanitation Project (USP).

He said the event formed part of INTAGRAD’s implementation programme in partnership with the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly aimed at increasing household latrines to improve sanitation with funding from the Netherlands government.

Mr Abraham Iddrisu, a consultant for the Urban Sanitation Project, said water and sanitation (WASH) formed the basic needs for human survival.
He said poor sanitation comes with its adverse impact on individuals, stressing that such impact could lead to low human productivity and increased high cost of living.

Mr Iddrisu said the project is aimed at ensuring that 215,000 households in the Northern Region are provided with latrines by 2018.
Mr Adam Wahab, the Deputy Head of Waste Management Department, said the Urban Community Led Total Sanitation (UCLTS) strategy should be adopted to engage households to facilitate the promotion of household latrines without subsidy.

“This would be borne by householders themselves without subsidy, rather than depending on benevolent organizations to reduce and discourage the use of other options including public latrines”, he said.
He said various cost effective latrine technologies have been introduced and every household must acquire one to improve sanitation to reduce the burden on the Assembly.