ASSESSING THE SANITATION PRACTICES OF TRADERS IN THE TAKORADI MARKET CIRCLE

ABSTRACT Takoradi Market Circle is currently experiencing poor environmental sanitation. Open spaces and gutters around the market place are littered with garbage, which in most cases clogs drains thereby creating conditions for disease vectors and posing health risks to traders. The main objective of the study was to assess the sanitation practices of traders in the Takoradi Market Circle. The convenient sampling technique was used to select 90 respondents to whom questionnaire were administered. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the work. Field observation helped in describing the sanitation conditions, questionnaires administered to market sellers and buyers in the market enabled the researcher to understand the people’s perception of the environment, causes and effects of poor sanitation conditions in the market. Also, interviews and focus group discussions were conducted by the researcher. From the interviews, the causes, perception and the effects of poor environmental sanitation in TMC were revealed. The study revealed differences in sanitation behaviour among market users at the TMC. However, the general environmental sanitation condition in the TMC is not up to expectations. Some recommendations pointed to the need for public education and engineering to promote a positive attitude for environmental sanitation in the TMC. In addition, enforcement of the environmental sanitation bye-laws is also recommended to make every individual responsible for good environmental sanitation in the market place.