Availability and Accessibility of Toilet Facilities among Low-Income Households in Selected Settlements of Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Cape Coast Metropolis faces a serious lack of adequate toilet facilities among the low-income households, leading to poor sanitation, health, and environmental degradation. The research explored and provided valuable data on the availability and accessibility of toilet facilities among low-income households. Using a simple random sampling technique,100 closed-ended questionnaires were equally administered to respondents in four Cape Coast Metropolis communities. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the types of toilet facilities available, identify the accessibility of toilet facilities, and ascertain challenges in providing toilet facilities. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to explore the relationship between income source and toilet facilities in the households. All statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 21. The findings were presented in form of tables and figures. The results reveal a significant lack of toilet facilities among the residents. Regarding the level of accessibility, most adults (79%) and children (72%) used household toilet facilities for defecation, while 14% of adults and 16% of children in the household were using toilet facilities outside the household. Open defecation near the house was more prevalent among the children (11%) than adults (6%) which shows unwillingness by most families to invest in improve toilet facilities.