Malaria looms at Suhum-Kwahyia as abandoned toilet project breeds mosquitoes

Residents of Kwahyia in the Suhum Municipality of the Eastern Region risk contracting malaria as an abandoned toilet project in the area is breeding lots of mosquitoes.

The residents are appealing to the Suhum Municipal Assembly to resume work and complete abandoned public toilet facility to end increasing open defecation and prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

The open defecation menace is one of the topmost challenges the community is grappling with aside the lack of health facility and the poor road network which is also affecting farming -the mainstay of the residents.

The farming community with population of about 1000 inhabitants predominantly peasant farmers.

The community has no public toilet facility forcing residents to resort to open defecation as a result having debilitating effect on sanitation and health of residents.

However, a Toilet facility started this year by the Suhum Municipal Assembly has been abandoned and being eroded by erosion.

“We don’t have public toilet facility here so open defecation is high. You see people defecating around for the adult sometimes they use cutlass to dig and defecate but the younger ones they openly defecate. This toilet facility has been abandoned. The manhole drugged has collapsed and stagnated by water bleeding lots of mosquitoes ” a resident lamented to Kasapa News.

The absence of Public toilet is not the only challenge facing Kwahyia Community but also the Poor road network connecting the community and its surrounding villages including Kukua and Jato known for mass production of local Gin-Akpeteshie.

For Residents of Kwahyia the poor road network is affecting farming particularly the cultivation of vegetables due to high possibility of perishing.

“This community we plant tomatoes, garden eggs, all the vegetables aside cassava, rice, plantain, cocoa among others but due to the poor road network buyers from Kumasi and other parts of the region are reluctant to come so many of the vegetables get perish. we use okada to transport our farm produce to Suhum before we get buyers”

Okada is the most available and affordable means of transport to residents including Pregnant Women due to the poor road network.

The chief of Suhum- Kwahyia, Nana Barfuor Asare Ayisi II , appealed to government to fulfill its promise of constructing Health center, toilet facility and the road to the community.

The Newly installed Nkosuohene of Suhum- Kwahyia community Nana Kwasi Boakye II said the community will no longer tolerate unfulfilled political promises.

“You just don’t come to the community to make promises and go back. We don’t hear from them again.so what we want to tell the politicians is that in 2020 when coming come with a clean mind because we are going to talk to the Youth. Think twice because we are tired of the Unfilfiled promises”.