Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) has said its Urban Sanitation Project (USP) has made tremendous gains as the number of households with toilets in the area has increased significantly helping to reduce water borne diseases.

According to a fact sheet containing key achievements and impact of the USP, which was shared by officials of TaMA at a stakeholders' meeting in Tamale on Thursday, the percentage of population/households in urban Tamale which had access to improved sanitation due to the USP stood at 39 (11.1% at baseline + 27.9% coverage from 2015 -2021).

According to the fact sheet, the percentage change in open defecation practice and public toilet use reduced from 78.8% (baseline) in 2015 to 41.8% in 2021 (35% reduction in seven years).

The estimated Tamale urban population currently stands 243,947 while the estimated Tamale urban households' population stands at 58,855.

The meeting dubbed: "Time with the media and water, sanitation and hygiene non-governmental organisations (WASH NGOs) in Tamale Metropolis," was to enable the authorities of TaMA to brief journalists and WASH NGOs on the activities being undertaken by TaMA in the WASH sector.

The USP is an initiative of the government in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund and funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and being implemented by the TaMA to amongst others ensure improved sanitation practices in urban Tamale.

Under the USP, the total number of toilets completed and in use as at June, this year, was 17,002 while the total number of people with improved sanitation was 102,012.

According to the fact sheet, within the last two years, 30 households in the metropolis were prosecuted in court for not complying to construct household toilets.

Mr Gilbert Nuuri-Teg, Tamale Metropolitan Coordinating Director, who addressed participants during the meeting, gave assurance that the Assembly was determined to work to further improve the sanitation situation in the metropolis.

He appealed to members of the media to support the efforts of the Assembly to drive behavioural change towards improved sanitation practices in the area.