Abstract

Open defecation is the practice whereby people choose to defecate in open environments such as forests, water, bush, other space. It is mostly practice in developing countries leading to the outbreak of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, typhoid, scabies, schistosomiasis all this comes as a result of contamination of water sources which are used for drinking, cooking, bathing.

This lead to the death of many people most especially children from 0-5 years. However, it is noticed that most people in mile two practice open defecation because they lack toilets, pits are filled, lack of space to construct and lack of money. This study was carried out in mile two Limbe. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which 100 respondents were sampled using convenient sampling. Questionnaires were used to obtain information on their knowledge, practice and the effects they face as a result of open defecation.

The results from the study shown that that 68% of the respondents has adequate knowledge on open defecation, and 100% have adequate knowledge on the practice of open defecation and the majority of the respondents had knowledge on water borne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea as result of open defecation while 38% had knowledge on the effects of open defecation.

Even though the respondents have knowledge of all this they still defecate in the open with results showing that 18% defecate in the river, 50% in the bush, 10% on the farm and 12% in the toilet. This study, therefore, recommends that the ministry of public health and WHO need to construct public toilets and organize campaigns to educate on the dangers of open defecation to improve the health status of individuals.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

According to WHO and UNICEF (2007) defecation is defined as a bowel movement in which faeces is evacuated through the rectum and anus.

Open defecation is passage of stool in an open environment such as water source, garden and this is commonly practiced in high poverty areas where sanitation is ignored

Dean, (2014) further explains that human excretal ways contain large numbers of germs which may cause diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and schistosomiasis.

« According to WHO (2007) open defecation is the riskiest practice of all » and that people defecating in area link along banks of rivers, gardens, then stool contain bacteria such as Escherichia coli and fecal streptococci which was often found in human digestive tract. When people practice open defecation the means for transmission is when they used the water for cooking, bathing.

Open defecation is threat to water security because when it rains human waste in the open environment is washed into water bodies which are the main sources of drinking water for both human and live stocks.

This inevitably leads to the outbreak of cholera and other preventable diseases during the life of children and adults, the global importance of water, sanitation and hygiene for development, poverty reduction and health this is reflected in the United Nations Millennium Declaration in particular its eight millennium Development Goals in the report of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and at many international forum.

Despite its importance 2.5 billion people roughly 37% of the world population still lack access to adequate sanitation. Open defecation is one of the main causes of diarrhea, which resulted in deaths of more than 75000 children under age 5 every year in the world Antara News Indonesia (2014).

Every 20 second a child dies as result of poor sanitation; 80% of diseases in developing country are caused by unsafe water and is due to the practice of open defecation.

Based on data from the WHO and UNICEF (2014) it is estimated that 1.1billion people and 17% of this population in the world practice open defecations in water sources also from 80% of the population noted that 10 countries in the world practice frequent open defecation with Indonesia being the second country after India with 58%, Pakistan 4.3%, Cameroon 25%

Also Amanda Prasad (2013) asserts that more than 2.5 billion people lack adequate sanitation World Wide especially in developing countries like India one out of four people defecate in the open as a result of poverty, lack of land toilet and space.

The National Environment Sanitation and Hygiene Policy Kenya ,ministry of health (2007) noted that 80% of the  preventable diseases and hospital attendance in most developing countries is due about 50% of this diseases are water ,sanitation and hygiene related as  result of open defecation, Ministry of health national environment hygiene policy and also join monetary program explains that the practice of open defecation is mostly in developing countries and it is as a result of the socioeconomic condition and lack of knowledge in the field of environmental health hazard, more to that WHO (2014) recorded 88% of child mortality due to diarrhea caused indirectly by the bad environment ,Sholikhan ,also stated in this research that people who practice open defecation lack toilet .

In the year (2013) the United Nation General Assembly designated 19 November as world toilet day urging charges in both behavior and policy on issues ranging from enhancing water management to end open defecation and the proportion of people who practice open defecation in the world has decreased by 1.1% from the year to (2001). However, the absolute number of people that increased by 33million over the same period due to population growth leading to infant mortality and morbidity.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

According to Chandra (2007) open defecation is practiced by most developing countries which Cameroon being a developing country and Limbe found in Cameroon practice open defecation which facilitate the spread of water borne diseases in the community leading to rapid spread of infection and possible death, inconveniences, water pollution and a public health risk with mostly children (0-5years) and the old being affected.

Diseases caused by open defecation are diarrhea, scabies, dengue fever, cholera, schistosomiasis, typhoid etc… this come as a result of people in Limbe using the river for fishing, swimming, bathing, cooking and washing cloth. All this is as a result of people residing around the river, lack of toilet, socioeconomic problems, and lack of land.

Joint monitoring program for water supply and sanitation reported that despite all the efforts done by the United Nations General Assembly and programs from sanitation in sensitizing the population on the effect of open defecation, it is still a high problem among inhabitants of Limbe mile two.

1.3 Objectives

1.3.1 General Objective

To assess population knowledge on the practice and effects of open defecation in Limbe mile two.

1.3.1 Specific Objectives

1. To assess the population’s knowledge of the practice of open defecation in Limbe mile two.
2. To identify the effect of open defecation on water sources in Limbe mile two.

1.4 Research Questions

1.4.1 General Research Question

What is the level of population knowledge on the practice and effects of open defecation in Limbe mile two?

1.4.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What are the measures to prevent open defecation in the population of Limbe mile two?
2. What causes open defecation in the population of Limbe mile two?
3. What are the altitudes of the population towards open defecation in Limbe mile two?

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