Water, sanitation and hygiene practices among selected public basic schools in Southern Ghana

Abstract

In this paper, we analyzed water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices, and food supply systems of public basic schools in the Ga South municipal and Shai-Osudoku district of the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Data collected through structured interviews and observations from 48 public basic schools are analyzed using descriptive statistics. We also investigated the concentration of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and health risks in water sources in a sample of the public basic schools using Aquagenx’s Compartment Bag Test (CBT). We found that majority of the public basic schools have access to WASH facilities and food supply; however, their quality is poor. Specifically, we identified inadequate hand washing facilities, poor microbial quality of water, littering of school compound with plastic waste, vending sites for foods and drinks located on dusty grounds, fairly low registration for vending permit or health certificate by food sellers, and inadequate food safety mechanisms. We conclude that there is a need to address WASH and food supply challenges through “software” and “hardware” interventions in order to ensure effective academic work in public basic schools in the Greater Accra region of Ghana.