By Komba Fillie
A cross-section of journalists from both the print and electronic media were engaged by Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone and WaterAID-Sierra Leone to commemorate World Toilet Day on the theme: “Valuing Toilet Asking, Who Cares about Toilets? We do!”
The day is commemorated on the 19th November as a way to create demand and awareness on sanitation. This was made know during a joint press conference organized by Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone and WaterAid at the WaterAid Country Office at Aberdeen in Freetown.
Delivering a statement, the WASH Programme Manager, Action Against Hunger, John O. Swaray, underscored the importance of the day. He said the World Toilet Day commemoration was planned to remind everyone about the 3.6 billion people who do not have access to hygienic sanitation services. He stressed on the significance of having toilets in communities, homes, schools and other places of works. He pointed out that access to sanitation services is recognized by the United Nations as a human right that should enable everyone without discrimination, to have physical and affordable access to sanitation facilities in all spheres of life that are safe, hygienic, secure, socially and culturally acceptable, and provide privacy and dignity.
He called on all partners in the WASH sector to double up in their efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Water and Sanitation for all by 2030. He cited that Governments must improve and expand service delivery using a human rights-based approach so that no one is left behind.
John O. Swaray, said that Governments need to ensure equitable access to adequate sanitation and hygiene for all and end open-air defecation with particular attention to the needs of women and girls and people in vulnerable situations.
He recalled that household toilet facilities are often inadequate, only 16 percent of households have an improved toilet facility, which is defined as “a non-shared facility constructed to prevent contact with human waste”. He noted that the said facilities reduce the spread of diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
Giving an overview of the commemoration, the Communications and Campaigns Manager for WaterAid, Alfred Sinnah underscored the importance of the day. He said the day is remembered every 19th November to raised awareness on the importance of sanitation and the need for Government to take action in tackling challenges people faced in schools, communities, and other public place in accessing toilet facilities.
Speaking during the press conference, the Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager, Christina Lawrence, underscored the importance of the day. He noted that as a country there is a need for increased investment to support sanitation workforce and Government to undependably assess the sanitation workforce and set out reforms and plans to improve their working condition. He pointed out that Government needs to critically look at the role of COVID 19 workers in celebrating world toilet Day.
Christina pointed out that during the COVID 19 pandemic, sanitation workers in Sierra Leone and many other countries have been largely forgotten, underpaid, unprotected and left to fend for themselves. He added that based on research carried out by WaterAid, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on the safety and wellbeing of those who clear and dispose of faecal waste, a good number of the sanitation workers are expose to hazardous working conditions, lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), poor training and legal protection, as well as loss of income.
The sanitation workers include people who clean toilets and sewers, empty latrine pits and septic tanks and operate pumping stations and treatment plants as well as those who clear faecal waste manually, sweep rubbish and transport faecal sludge. He cited that the findings of the research include solid waste workers and cleaners.
He stated that despite providing a vital service in ensuring human waste is cleared, stored and disposed safely, sanitation workers are often marginalized, stigmatized and shunned as a result of their job. He recalled that many have worked on the frontline of the pandemic, throughout national lockdowns, in hospitals and quarantine centres and in the heart of communities with poor access to safe water, decent sanitation and good hygiene facilities. He furthered that the workforce risk being exposed to a wide variety of health hazards and disease or can often come into direct contact with human waste. He cited objects in pit latrines and poor construction as a major cause of injuries and infection while toxic gases can make workers lose consciousness or even kill them.
