What it takes to make sanitation effective : paper prepared for the West Africa Regional Sanitation and Hygiene Symposium, 10-12 Nov 2009, Accra, Ghana

Policy and regulation set has been flouted by sanitary personnel through the receipt of bribe from defaulters of sanitary laws, with loop holes for excuses with minimal fine if follow to the latter. The attitude of good sanitary and hygiene practice has been lack across the board, couple with the incapacity of relevant equipment to effectively enforce and supervised the sanitary and hygiene situations in the country with simple communication skills. Access to deposit site within community to enhanced good sanitary practice personally and collectively and the environmental and community setting are grossly affecting the sanitation and hygiene situation in Africa as compared to the western countries. Survey Data on Sanitation Assessment Survey 2008 done by Action For Social Rights in complimenting the International Year of Sanitation 2008. It is reveled in the research that 83% did not have community dust bin to deposit waste from household and 77.8% did not pay for waste collection, 38.9% deposit waste in the stream, 33.3 extract defecation through pit duging and machines respectively while 16.7 through stream and bush respectively, 66.7% are 18yrs to 30yrs and 33.3 % are 31yrs to 45yrs. While 55.6% are women and 44.4 are male involved. However 77.8% observed hygiene rules and principles (Source: AfSoR). The international year for sanitation bring wide sensitization on the improvement of sanitary behavior.

(authors abstract)