Open defecation major concern in Marsabit

Leaders in Marsabit County have raised concerns about poor sanitation and hygiene due to widespread open defecation.

Marsabit Deputy County Commissioner David Saruni said a recent survey by multi-sectoral groups had revealed that open defecation remains high at 72 percent.

“As it emerged in one of our county steering group meetings, there is a dire need to stem open defecation before it turns into a major crisis in this region,” he said.

Better sanitation, he said, had remained a struggle for decades and urged stakeholders to find sustainable solutions.

He lamented that Marsabit residents who practised open defecation, especially in rural areas, had contributed to the grim statistics.

Poor sanitation exposes residents to diseases such as typhoid, cholera, diarrhea and stunted growth, besides economic impacts such as loss of productivity.

He urged partners to boost the distribution of hygiene kits to residents of Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River and Wajir counties, where less than 30 percent of the population have water containers.

He said this will complement hygiene sensitisation campaigns.

Poor sanitation and open defecation have been linked to low height-for-age in children in Marsabit County.

Stunted children suffer higher mortality due to infectious diseases such as pneumonia and measles. They are also more likely to have poorer cognitive outcomes in education.

Adults who are stunted are also more likely to earn less, according to the 2019 WHO and Marsabit Smart survey.

The World Food Programme’s representative and county director, Lauren Landis, also reiterated the need for better sanitation in an interview with Nation.Africa in Marsabit County on June 17.

Poor sanitation

Economically, Marsabit loses over Sh332 million annually due to poor sanitation as a result of losses in access time, premature deaths, healthcare costs and productivity, according to the Ministry of Health.

A drought needs assessment Kenya conducted in February 2021 established that in Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Tana River, Turkana and Wajir less than 50 per cent of latrines were usable.

The research was conducted by Oxfam, PACIDA, Concern Worldwide, WASDA, RACIDA and ACTED, among other non-governmental groups.

Only 3.5 percent of latrines had lighting at night, raising safety and protection concerns, and only around 17 percent of latrines had locking mechanisms.

The report recommended that water supply be complemented with community-level hygiene sensitisation to raise awareness on the importance of hygiene and sanitation among residents, including methods of water treatment in households.

It also recommended an increase in water supply assets in Marsabit, Isiolo, Mandera and Tana River sites, where 85 percent of water points were under strain.

According to the WHO, inadequate sanitation is estimated to cause 432,000 diarrheal deaths annually and is a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma.

It is women who mostly feel the effect of lack of access to clean water and toilets.

In dry areas, women are the primary water collectors, often travelling long distances of up to 25km to get water.

They face shame and harassment when going to bathrooms, causing them to suppress their needs until dark, resulting in negative health effects.

Waiting until nightfall also means that women who openly defecate often face molestation, violence and rape.

Teenage girls also struggle to stay in schools without gender-segregated toilets, especially when they begin to menstruate because such toilets are not “private or safe”.

It was observed that achieving access to a basic drinking water source appears within reach but universal access to basic sanitation required additional efforts.

In 2013, the UN deputy secretary-general issued a rallying call to action on sanitation that included eliminating open defecation by 2025.

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