Latrines

In America, we often take something as simple as a toilet for granted. And because we do take it for granted, we do not understand how important waste disposal is to the health and welfare of a community. Proper sanitation facilities (for example, toilets and latrines) promote health because they allow people to dispose of their waste appropriately, preventing contamination of their environment and reducing risk to themselves and their neighbors. Throughout the world, many people do not have access to sanitation facilities, resulting in improper waste disposal that safely contain waste away from human contact and ensure that waste is properly treated prior to environmental discharge and other risks.

Absence of basic sanitation facilities can result in an unhealthy environment contaminated by human waste. Without proper sanitation facilities, waste from infected individuals can contaminate a community’s land and water, increasing the risk of infection for other individuals. Proper waste disposal can slow the infection cycle of many disease-causing agents which contribute to the spread of many diseases/conditions that can cause widespread illness and death.

Without proper sanitation facilities, people often have no choice but to live in and drink water from an environment contaminated with waste from infected individuals, thereby putting themselves at risk for future infection. Inadequate waste disposal drives the infection cycle of many bacteria and other germs that can be spread through contaminated soil, food, water, and insects such as flies.

Malaria is the number one disease in Liberia and waste removal is important for malaria control. Poor sanitation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse are some of the main causes of malaria in the Sub Sahara African region. Poorly managed waste often ends up in ponds, reservoirs, or drainage systems. Also polluting sources of drinking water. 

Currently, villagers use the one local creek and the bushes for latrines. The need that presents itself is a number of ecologically friendly biodegradable latrine systems in these villages and others nearby to promote health and sanitation.