ASSESSING FACTORS LEADING TO FAILURE TO SUSTAIN ODF ACHIEVEMENTS IN CERTIFIED AND DECLARED CHIEFDOMS, ZAMBIA

Abstract

Open Defecation is the process of defecating in the open without using toilets, while Open Defecation Free (ODF) is defecating using the toilet without leaving the human excreta open that contaminates the water supply, contaminates food and air, leading to eating human faeces causing diarrheal diseases. Currently, Zambia has a total of 288 chiefdoms, with 53 already certified and declared ODF representing 17% coverage. However, the major problem is that there is no single chiefdom that is still ODF or has sustained its ODF achievements, i.e. 0 (zero) out of 53 has sustained its ODF status, which is a worrisome development that has necessitated this study that is designed to investigate and identify the factors or reasons leading to ODF slippage in all the 53 chiefdoms across the country, i.e. affecting the national and sanitation universal coverage. The effects or consequences of slippage to open defecation has exposed people to consuming shit leading to outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, dysentery and other diarrheal-related diseases in the country, compromising the general public health of the people. It is for this reason that the study was able to address questions or issues of identifying factors leading to slippage of ODF achievements or attainment and further to get a detailed understanding or diagnosing the problematic sanitary facility and its parameters of adequacy, i.e. whether it is due to lack of toilet reconstruction or missing parameters such as the lid and hand washing facilities. Therefore, the rationale of the study was to identify factors for ODF slippage and find solutions or interventions ranging from policy formulation on ODF attainment and sustainability. The sample was drawn from all 53 chiefdoms with a 30% sample size in order to generalize the research findings or results and interventions. General findings and empirical data affirmed that there were no chiefdom ODF plans and no budgets at most of the councils to support ODF sustainability. The situation is also worsened by the fact that most of the councils have the CLTS Excel sheets in place but are outdated or not regularly updated; hence, the data is stale and cannot be used for planning and review of the interventions or programme performance. Further, the results indicated that 83.3% of respondents disagreed that local authorities are not doing enough to sustain ODF achievement, according to the Local Government Amendment Act No. 2 of 2019.