| Abstract |
The Ghana education policy requires all schools to have adequate sanitation and safe water facilities. However, the states of these facilities are not known due to poor monitoring practices. This study therefore
sought to determine the existing sanitation conditions of toilet facilities and other sanitary facilities like urinal and solid waste disposal systems available. In addition, the hygienic practices on the school compound were also examined. Out of the 30 selected schools 53% were without toilet facilities whiles 83% were without safe water on site. Majority of the schools burned their waste on the campus during teaching periods. It was observed that all the students wash their hand before eating but 30% wash their hands with soap while 70% do not use soap in washing their hands before eating. After collecting refuse with their hands, 24% wash their hands with soap, 54% wash their hands without soap and 22% do not wash their hands at all. When a weighting system was developed, 9 schools scored between 21 and 34 out of 40 for sanitation facilities. The rest were in the range of 7-19. Sanitation practices were fairly good apart from 3 schools which scored between 64 and 67 out of 140. The others ranged from 71 to118. For Food vendors on the schools’ premises 10 of the schools scored 50% of the waiting system. Sixty five percent of the SHEP Co-ordinators were not performing their duties effectively due to lack of funds, facilities, personnel and logistics.
(authors abstract)
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