Effectiveness of National Sanitation Day as a community participatory approach for improving environmental sanitation in Edina Traditional Area, Ghana

Abstract

Purpose – Poor environmental sanitation affects environmental quality and health. Ghana is a developing country whose sanitation profile has been one of the lowest in the world in recent years. This has prompted various views regarding effective approaches for improving sanitation in Ghana for better environmental quality and health. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of National Sanitation Day (NSD) as a model for improving environmental sanitation in the Edina Traditional Area (ETA), Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – The study used key informant interviews and focus group discussions to collect qualitative data from purposively selected participants from predominantly fishing and farming communities in the ETA, Ghana. Data were analysed thematically and presented using interpretive narratives and most significant stories. Findings – Results showed a high level of community awareness of the model but low participation in the intervention, culminating in the model’s ineffectiveness to make any meaningful impact on improved sanitation in the study area. Key factors responsible for the model’s ineffectiveness include apathy, inadequate logistics, politics and attitude. Practical implications – Government should engage more effectively with the municipal assembly, private sanitation companies and community level authorities to address the political, logistical, attitudinal and institutional challenges associated with the model to ensure effective participation in the NSD for better sanitation outcomes, leading to improved environmental quality and health for sustainable development. Originality/value – This is one of the few studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of the NSD in Ghana since the model was introduced in the country in 2014. The outcome of the study could inform sanitation management policy, practice and research in Ghana as well as other developing countries that may adopt or adapt Ghana’s model.