Abstract
Rapid urbanization in low-resource countries has led to a growing sanitation crisis, with widespread fecal contamination and risk of adverse health outcomes. Understanding how to change sanitation behaviors and reduce exposure to fecal contamination is central to Sustainable Development Goal 6. This study examines behavioral influences on fecal contamination in six low-resource neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana. Qualitative data comprised 12 key informant interviews with community leaders and 16 focus group discussions with residents. Results identify behaviors that increase the presence of feces in urban neighborhoods and risk of exposure to fecal contamination. Significant barriers to access and use of public and private latrines led to a range of defecation and excreta management practices. These methods of fecal disposal, together with poor sanitation services (i.e. refuse collection, public drainage, public latrines), environmental conditions (i.e. wind, rain), and employment activities (i.e. fishing, hawking), exacerbate the spread of feces and risk of exposure to fecal contamination. The transfer of fecal contamination between public and private domains creates repeated risk of exposure to fecal contamination for residents during daily activities. This pervasiveness of fecal contamination in the environment, suggests the need for multi-sectoral approaches to reduce fecal contamination that go beyond provision of public or private latrines.
Highlights
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have highlighted the need for interventions to improve the health of populations in developing countries, including improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (UN 2016)
The use of public and private latrines is described, highlighting problems that lead to alternative methods of fecal disposal
Alternative methods of fecal disposal are identified and the ways in which environmental conditions, neighborhood infrastructure, and refuse disposal practices exacerbate the spread of feces and risk of fecal contamination throughout lowincome neighborhoods are explored
Summary
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have highlighted the need for interventions to improve the health of populations in developing countries, including improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (UN 2016). Specific SDGs focus on providing access to safe sanitation facilities and eliminating open defecation by 2030 (SDG 6.2), involving local communities to improve sanitation. To change sanitation behaviors and meet the SDGs, there needs to be a better understanding of the context and pathways of fecal contamination for residents of low-resource urban neighborhoods. In urban areas of Ghana, an estimated 73% of the population relies on shared sanitation facilities, higher than any other country (WHO/UNICEF JMP ). Improved management of public latrines, including improved management of fecal sludge, especially in low-resource communities in Accra, Ghana, is needed in order to eliminate open defecation. In the public domain, which includes beaches, markets, schools, and religious places of worship, there are few free latrines (Boot & Scott ), and the population must rely on public latrines (WHO/UNICEF JMP )
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
