Estimations by UN and Ghana statistics

 Most of the Ghanaians do not have access to an improved sanitation facility -- a proper toilet -- which separates human waste from human contact, according to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation.

A global report will be published later this year; however, preliminary data on the situation in Africa was released sometimes ago as part of World Water Day 2008.

The Day, built around the theme that “Sanitation matters," seeks to draw attention to the plight of some of the 26 million people in Ghana who live without access to a toilet at home and thus are vulnerable to a range of health risks.

"Sanitation is a cornerstone of public health," said WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. "Improved sanitation contributes enormously to human health and well-being, especially for girls and women.

We know that simple, achievable interventions can reduce the risk of contracting diarrhoeal disease by a third." as this suggests government should intervene to help in improve our city. 

Although WHO and UNICEF estimate that 1.2 billion people worldwide gained access to improved sanitation between 1990 and 2004, an estimated 2.6 billion people - including 980 million children – had no toilets at home.

 If current trends continue, there will still be 2.4 billion people without basic sanitation in 2015, and the children among them will continue to pay the price in lost lives, missed schooling, in disease, malnutrition and poverty.

 According to Ghana statically board, nearly 40% of the Ghanaian’s population lacks access to toilets, and the dignity and safety that they provide.  The absence of adequate sanitation has a serious impact on health and social development, especially for children.

 Investments in improving sanitation will accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and save lives as estimated by WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. as a result inadequate facilities it generate a lot unhygienic diseases among girls and women as well as boy and men.

SANITATION WITH FOOD HANDLING

Food sanitation is important because it prevents contamination of food. As it can be seen in the bus stops where we are usually take without considering what we are putting into our stomach. By following protocols, the chance of food becoming contaminated becomes less. People who work in the food industry need to understand and follow regulations from public health agencies. Sanitation protocols need to start from the moment the food is harvested to the time it is eaten. It is also important for people who cook at home to understand basic food safety and sanitation.
One mistake in food sanitation could cause thousands of people to become sick. Food borne illness can be caused by poor sanitation. Food processing issues cause sickness all over the world. Recent examples of failed food processing are: peanut butter, spinach, and hamburger meat. Even a bake sale has risk of food contamination.
It is important to remember to wash your hands after using the bathroom, diaper changing, touching animals, and before and after preparing food to prevent the spread of infection from person to person. Wash hands after smoking, working in the garden, or attending to a sick person. Hand washing is most effective when liquid soap is used with warm water. Do not use hot water because it can alter the natural oils in your skin. Bar soap should be avoided, especially in public places.
Bar soap is susceptible to contamination because it normally rests in pools of water in many of our ‘chop bars’ that contain many germs. But sometimes we ignored them. This may cause more germs to develop and be spread from person to person. Bar soap tends to dry out easily and crack. Germs can get inside the crack of the soap. It has been shown that people are less likely to wash their hands if they have to use bar soap. Most places have converted to liquid soap only, especially in the health care field.

PROPER MEASURES AND PREVENTIVE METHODS

In medieval times, people would dispose of their trash out the window. This was not a problem until there was an increase of population and decrease of land. The great amount of trash in the streets and land became a problem. For example, in the beginning of the 19^th century in Ghana, Accra, the population doubled from the beginning of the century to the middle. Ghanaian's streets became filled with trash. Disease and death were blamed on lack of sanitation and inadequate garbage disposal in the city.
Clean water is a necessity for life. Water treatment plants clean and treat water so that it is safe to drink. Water treatment plants get rid of harmful pollutants and liquid waste and make the water safe to return to the environment. Water enters treatment plants from rivers, reservoirs, wells, and streams. It is treated and returned into the environment. Sewage water runs through sewer pipes into wastewater treatment plants. After it is treated, it is sent out to streams, oceans, rivers and used for irrigation systems. Both wastewater and water treatment plants remove dangerous materials, chemicals, and microorganisms from the water.
When countries do not have waste management programs, it puts individuals at risk for serious risk of contracting diseases. For example, a country that does not have a health care waste program is putting their citizens at risk for contracting blood illnesses. Medical scissors, syringes, and other hospital wastes need to be carefully disposed of after use due to the risks to citizens and the environment. One of the most important problems in developing a sanitation program is money. Some countries do not have the funding to run the sanitation and water plants.
Diarrheal diseases are the most common problem caused by poor sanitation and contaminated water. Long-term health issues caused from contaminated water include skin lesions that can cause skin, bladder, and lung cancer. Millions of people are at risk for developing arsenic poisoning because they depend on water supplies that may be contaminated and do not have a water supply that is safe.
Cholera is a bacterial infection throughout the intestinal tract. It causes diarrhea and if left untreated, can cause severe dehydration and death. Cholera can be stopped by having access to drinking water that is safe. Developing good sanitation and hygiene can also prevent this infection.
Acute respiratory infections can also be caused by poor sanitation. Respiratory infections are one of the biggest causes of death in the world. There are about 4 million cases of death annually reported in the world. Half of these individuals are children. Studies show that better hygiene practice prevents the increased infections. Combining the cases of diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections, uncontrolled sanitation and hygiene is the leading cause of death in children.

IMPLICATIONS

A case-control design has been applied in the evaluation of improved environmental sanitation on diarrheal diseases in the city of Accra.

The blog demonstrates the feasibility of using such an approach to evaluate two levels of water supply and sanitation service quickly and at moderate cost.

Sample sizes would need to be increased substantially to evaluate multiple levels of service or to investigate interactions between water supply and sanitation.

The results indicate that children living in families who use good quality water supplies and latrines experience 20% less diarrhea as reported to the health clinics during the warm, rainy season.