TITLE:
Toilet Availability and Use in Public Places in Buea: Implications for Public Health
AUTHORS:
Mbuwir Charlotte Bongfen
KEYWORDS:
Toilet Facilities, Availability, Use
JOURNAL NAME:
Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine,
Vol.12 No.3,
June
20,
2024
ABSTRACT: Toilet facilities in public places are a necessity and are supposed to be present in any public place where people visit. Despite the importance of toilet facilities in public places, there is limited access to toilet facilities in public places in Sub-Saharan Africa and this has been a persistent issue. Given that limited studies have been done on availability and use of toilets in public places, this study aimed to fill this research gap. To achieve the objective of the study, a cross-sectional study was used to select participants from the study site. The sample size was 400 after adjustment for non-response. Results from the study showed promising as 95% of public places had a toilet and water for hand washing. However, most of the toilet facilities lacked soap. Toilets in offices and hospitals were perceived to be cleaner and of good quality compared to those in markets and travel agencies. Results also showed that participants hardly used toilets in markets and travel agencies. Toilet facilities in offices and churches were most used, as office toilets were rated clean and of good quality by the participants. The study recommends the need for routine checks by the council to ensure the presence of toilet facilities in public places and the need to sensitise business owners on the importance of having and maintaining toilet facilities in their business establishments.