BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa – In district number 3, the practice of open defecation has knitted a tapestry of despair, as residents grapple with the dire consequences of unsanitary conditions.

By: Mercy Zahn Gbhoe, Contributing Writer

Carolina Karyatu, a resident of Fanti Town Community, paints a vivid picture of desperation as she describes how children and adults alike resort to using plastic bags for their daily needs, casting their waste into the ocean, uncompleted buildings, and nearby bushes.

“When you check the houses in this community, the ones that have toilet na (do not) reach ten,” Caroline said “Most of the people here can toilet in plastic and throw it away,” she continued.

This unsettling practice not only pollutes the rivers and water sources but also poses a grave threat to the health of the community. From diarrhea to skin rashes and other diseases, the repercussions of open defecation are felt far and wide, plunging families into a cycle of sickness and suffering.

This is evident by the latest WASH-related burden of disease which estimates, 1.4 million people die each year as a result of inadequate drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene. The vast majority of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. The report highlights that unsafe sanitation accounts for 564 000 of these deaths, largely from diarrheal disease, and it is a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, and trachoma. Experts have also discovered that poor sanitation contributes to malnutrition.

For Wayzohn Community, open defecation is not much of a crisis in the area. But Rhoda Johnson, a community dweller recounts the challenges faced by women due to unsanitary public toilets, where trichomoniasis and discomfort are common occurrences.

Henry Andrews, the community leader underscores the urgent need for action, emphasizing the threat of unsanitary public latrines to child health and human capital.

“The toilet here is in a deplorable condition,” he said. “And the community dwellers are not cooperative when it comes to the maintenance of it,” he disclosed.

Martha Doe, a pharmacist in the area, bears witness to the toll on health, with a steady stream of customers seeking relief from urinary tract infections, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

“The medicine the people can really buy here da (are) antibiotics like Amoxicillin, Metro, Erythromycin biscopan etc,” she said. “Medicines that are used for treating infection and running stomach” she disclosed.According to a study by the WHO, open defecation propagates a cruel progression of disease and poverty, noting that countries where open defection is most widespread have the highest number of deaths of children under 5 years as well as the higelof malnutrition, poverty, and big disparities of wealth.

The Joint Monitoring Programme 2017 (JMP 2017) showed that 42 per cent of Liberia population practices open defecation. Meaning less than 10 per cent of Liberians had access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation services.

However, the situation is getting alarming as UNICEF Liberia 2023 annual report reveals that 52.3% of Liberia’s population lacks access to sanitation and hygiene facilities. “This highlights the complex and interrelated challenges that must be addressed to improve the overall well-being of the population.”

Sanitation expert Marthalyn Subah warns of the vicious cycle of diseases and poverty perpetuated by open defecation, citing a list of illnesses that plague communities where dignity is compromised and health is at risk.

“Open defecating results in contamination of the local environment adversely because of the effects on inhabitants, including diseases like: intestinal worms, infections, typhoid, cholera, trachoma and others,” she said.

Mercy Johnny, founder of Children Rescue Africa, sheds light on the dangers faced by women and girls in such conditions, and is leading efforts to raise awareness and promote hygiene in the 52 communities within Buchanan.

“We were able to meet with the Corcoran Community, the leaders in Palawan town, Fanti town, New Buchanan Blocks A, B, C & D, and we had fruitful conversations,” She said.  “In fact, the community dwellers had a mindset that we went there to say they’re dirty but we clear their doubts and they were excited to work with us as we distributed detergents and other things for them to maintain their toilets.” She concluded.

As the curtain falls on this harrowing tale of suffering, the call for action grows louder, demanding a concerted effort to break free from the shackles of open defecation and pave the way for a healthier, more dignified future for all in district number 3, Grand Bassa County.

This story was produced under the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) Mentorship Program. Funding was provided by USAID through Internews, under Year 3 of its Media Activity Program. The Funder had no say in the contents of this story.

Ganta, Nimba County – Five counties have jointly agreed and signed a resolution to end open defecation in Liberia, with the USAID-sponsored project titled “County Wide Sanitation Activity.” The project, implemented by Population Services International (PSI), Concern Worldwide, ATHENA Infonomics, and GUSCEMAN INC Excellence for Growth and Prosperity Business Development and Support Services, aims to end open defecation in their respective counties.

By Franklin Doloquee, Nimba County

The counties involved include Lofa, Grand Bassa, Bong, Montserrado, and Nimba, with the goal of enabling each household to have access to the end of open defecation within their respective homes and counties.

The County Wide Sanitation Activity focuses on key areas including sanitation governance, sanitation marketing, and others.

The joint resolution of the County Councils (Grand Bassa, Lofa, Bong, Montserrado, and Nimba Counties) on the County Wide Sanitation Activity indicates the importance of county-wide sanitation. However, there is no allotment in the National budget for the 2024 budget year.

John Alexander Nyahn Jr., Deputy Chairperson for the National Civil Society Organizations in Liberia, who read the resolution, lamented that the five counties have resolved to include sanitation financing in their county development plans and budgets to enable them to end open defecation within their respective counties.

He stated that the joint resolution also focuses on allocating 2 to 5 percent of all annual funds or income generated from the county for the support and promotion of sanitation projects and activities. This collaboration with sanitation partners aims to develop policies and guidelines to promote and sustain adequate sanitation in Grand Bassa, Lofa, Bong, Montserrado, and Nimba Counties, ultimately ending open defecation permanently. The five counties’ administrations and councils ensure strict compliance with the tenets of inclusion, transparency, and accountability in executing sanitation projects.

Addressing participants in Ganta during the three-day final resolution adoption and Area-Wide Sanitation planning meeting at the Jackie Guest House in Ganta, USAID Chief of Party for County Wide Sanitation Activity, Matthew Ndote, urged participants to focus and get involved in ending open defecation in their homes and counties.

He encouraged them to engage in improving sanitation in their respective counties.

Matthew Ndote acknowledged the participants from the five counties, stating that 64 percent of Liberia’s population still uses open defecation, while participants disclosed that 98 percent of the funding provided comes from non-governmental organizations, with the government of Liberia not expressing interest in the fight to end open defecation in the country.

Nicore Rock, County Wide Sanitation Activity Athena Infonomics, also spoke, urging the involvement of all Liberians in ending open defecation in the various counties. She emphasized the need for government involvement alongside the citizenry in ending open defecation in Liberia.

Lofa County Senator Momo T. Cyrus pledged his support to the five counties leading the initiative. He expressed disappointment that Liberia, one of the oldest African countries, still faces an open defecation problem.

The Lofa County lawmaker pledged to engage the Upper House for their support in ending open defecation in the country.

“This is not a good thing to even be saying. Liberia is about 176 years old, and one of the oldest countries still facing an open defecation problem is not good for this country,” Senator Momo T. Cyrus added.

He was praised by the participants for his longstanding commitment at the ceremony and vowed to lead them to the Senate head to secure Upper House budgetary support.

“I will take your message to the Upper House to inform them about your activities. Liberia is one of the oldest African countries; we cannot still be talking about ending open defecation. We need to move ahead in addressing such practices,” Lofa County Senator Momo T. Cyrus told participants in Ganta, Nimba County. He assured them of his support in providing budgetary assistance towards their activities.