Insalubrity in the streets: incivism and carelessness on the part of citizens

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Extract from the article: Inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene habits are rife in certain areas of Lomé. This situation is becoming increasingly worrying, as it compromises the health of the population. A team from Santé-Education took a tour of some of the city's neighborh

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Inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene habits are rife in certain areas of Lomé. This situation is becoming increasingly worrying, as it compromises the health of the population. A team from Santé-Education took a tour of some of the city's neighborhoods, and the results were stark. Unauthorized dumps, gutters littered with bags, dishwater in front of houses, sump water in the streets, urinating on sidewalks.  Irresponsibility, incivism or carelessness on the part of citizens?

In Togo, section 2 of the Health Code, entitled « Sanitation of built-up areas », sets out measures for the management of wastewater and household and industrial waste. Article 55 reads: « In towns where a separate sewerage system is adopted, two different sewers may be required. Water and waste must be disposed of in such a way as not to cause a nuisance ».  This means that household wastewater must be treated and disposed of separately by means of an infiltration well, as stipulated in the French Health Code. Unfortunately, many households have no sewage disposal and treatment systems.  Neighborhoods in Togo's capital suffer from the daily dumping of dirty water from dishes and laundry in front of their homes. This scene is becoming an ordinary and normal behavior of citizens.

« We live in a courtyard shared by ten households. We throw all our wastewater outside. At first, during the rainy season, we used to take advantage of the rain to empty our toilets. We repeatedly called on the owner, who finally dug a sump for the toilet water. But as for the waste water, we dump it on the public highway », confided Mme Célestine, a vendor and mother of two living in the Soviépé district. Solid and liquid waste have taken up residence in this area.

Like this lady, many tenants are confronted with the same type of problem. These spills create puddles. These puddles contain all sorts of detritus, including grains of rice, fish bones, leftover meals and soap scum. The sad thing is to see children playing in these stagnant waters. Indeed, the kids have fun jumping into this water, and often draw from it for their games.

« We don't have any toilets, and when the few we have are full, we have to empty them into the gutters. We don't have the means to empty these toilets », confided Abla, a resident of the Dogbeavou district. Indeed, in this neighborhood, once the cesspools are full, their contents flow into the alleyways, making passage impossible and polluting the air. A state of affairs that makes residents of other neighborhoods reluctant to visit. The situation is alarming and distressing. Incivism is at its worst in our society.

« I'm always amazed to see my neighbors dumping sewage in their front yards, which sometimes makes it difficult to get around. Even one morning, a lady wanted to dump the water, unaware that a motorcycle was passing by. As a result, the driver received the sewage », lamented Massa, a 28-year-old wife living in the Yokoè district.

Heavy health consequences

Stagnant water around homes is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Where there is dirt and sewage, mosquitoes lay their eggs and become numerous in the city. They are vectors of malaria. Dr Mikaila Kaboré, Infectious Disease Physician at the CHR de Ziniaré in Burkina Faso, believes that there are other so-called "water-borne" or "feco-oral" diseases, favored by flies and domestic animals. The latter stay in unsanitary areas, only to later come into contact with drinking water and uncovered food in concessions. In this way, a number of mainly diarrhoeal diseases are spread within these exposed communities. « Dysenteric diseases, cholera and salmonellosis are among the most common, and children are the most vulnerable groups. In addition, the more or less permanent inhalation of odors from these inadequate sanitation systems can lead to long-term digestive discomfort », Dr Mikaila Kaboré, Infectious Disease Physician.  Insalubrity has consequences for a person's income. If someone is ill today, they can't work. This has an impact on household income. Economically, it reduces the ability to work.

A call for awareness

The issue of insalubrity is of concern to everyone, because the advantages of a clean and healthy neighborhood or city are beneficial to all its inhabitants. So it's vital that people adopt good practices to keep their environment healthy and clean. « Despite the fact that I'm an old man, every morning I clean the gutters around my house to remove the solid waste that blocks the passage of liquid waste »,, said Papa Tanko, a retired teacher he met in the Gbadago district of Lomé. 

The authorities need to step up awareness-raising at all levels, find effective solutions and reinforce the methods already in place. The aim is to put an end to this situation, which has lasted for so long and continues to damage the health and development of the peaceful population. « It's up to the State to get us out of this situation. I think the State must enforce sanctions to keep the environment clean », said Akakpo, a 34-year-old mechanic living in the Gbadago district.

To protect the population from these consequences, infrastructures need to be brought closer to the people, by installing dustbins in the streets, building latrines, regularly cleaning gutters and collecting garbage regularly.  In Togo, several communes have been running awareness campaigns on environmental cleanliness for some time now. These include the "Komeneko plo plo" initiative, which means « make the neighborhood totally clean » launched by the Commune du Golfe 1, and « Moi Jeu Tri » by the Commune des Lacs 1, which aims to make children the main players in finding solutions to the challenges of safeguarding the environment.

Kodzo, a salesman for a cosmetics company, met in a restaurant and said: « We mustn't limit ourselves to raising awareness, but go beyond that. Every household has to be responsible and take care of its own hygiene. Having garbage bins and regularly washing your hands with soap are simple gestures that will keep you safe ». So it's up to citizens to continue practising good citizenship, and for the authorities to start imposing penalties while stepping up awareness-raising.

William O. & Raymond DZAKPATA