A case for public sanitation with on-site treatment in Ghana

Abstract

According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), 14% of the population in Ghana use improved sanitation facilities and 59% use shared facilities. The objective of this thesis is to offer a situational analysis of public sanitation in Ghana by addressing both access to sanitation and bio-digestion on-site waste treatment for one non-profit organization, Pure Home Water, to improve access to sanitation in the Northern Sector of Ghana. Based on the neighborhood, customary, and political context of Ghana, I recommend the construction of new public sanitation facilities, the conversion of existing household toilets to the biodigester systems, and making bio-digester systems a standard technical model while creating local ownership of the technology. In addition, I recommend evaluating the status quo to address the needs of vulnerable groups, addressing hygiene needs as standard, and appealing to the local government's business sense.