Open defecation at the beaches in fishing communities

The practice of defecating in the sand and on stones at the beaches in fishing communities in Ghana is spreading a lot of diseases among the people living in the coastal areas and the country at large.

When fishermen defecate in the sea or the populace defecates at the beach shores, the faeces get carried away by the sea waves. Fishes and other sea creatures feed on the faeces and the remaining get washed into nearby rivers and streams. Sometimes the waves return some to the shore or the beach. These series of events promote the spread of disease in multiple ways:

1. House flies settle on the faeces on the shore, and they carry the contaminant to the community, settle on food and water, contaminating them. This can lead to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera when the contaminated food is eaten, or the contaminated water is drunk.

2. When the fish in the sea eat the faeces, they can get infected with intestinal parasites. These parasites are passed on to humans when these infected fish are caught and eaten (especially when they are undercooked). This has led to infestation of intestinal parasites among members in the fishing communities, especially those who eat undercooked fish.

3. When the faeces are carried to nearby rivers and streams that join the sea, they contaminate the water bodies making them impure to drink. This is because the stool may contain parasites such as Schistosoma species. They can penetrate the skin of people who swim in the contaminated water, and some may get infected by drinking it.

These Schistosoma species are very common in fishing communities, particularly where rivers and streams join the sea.

We all need to help prevent the spread of intestinal parasites by putting a stop to open defecation in fishing communities. Ending this barbaric practice will help reduce the risk of spreading certain diseases in the fishing communities and the country.

I will urge community members to defecate in water closets or well-ventilated toilets, where there will be no spread of disease especially intestinal parasites in the fishing communities.

Thank you.