Public toilet management and issues (Cameroon)

The objective of this study was to propose rational solutions in the management of public toilets in the markets and spaces in the municipality of Yaoundé 5 on three levels: administrative, financial and technical. To this end, field observations, user surveys (100) and interviews with stakeholders to determine their levels of intervention were carried out. The structures used (8 in total) as public toilets are of two types: 25% traditional latrines and 75% manual flush toilets. These toilets are generally emptying using pumping technology. Most (67%) of respondents specify that the hygienic conditions are not good and none of them are respected. This involves several risks of contamination of users following the non-application of hygiene measures and the defect of the existing structures within these toilets. The consequence being the increased risk of contamination of diseases such as “vaginal pruritus” in women and fecal-oral in most users (acute diarrheal diseases; cholera; hepatitis A; Hepatitis E; typhoid fever; diarrhea acute bloody). Several actors have been identified, with more or less precise roles: The municipality of Yaoundé-5 (ensures the design, construction, operation and management of public toilets in its area); The decentralized services of Ministry of Water and Energy (MINEE) and Ministry of Public Health (MINSANTE) (provide advisory support in the planning and development of the technical file for public toilet construction projects); Agency for Inter Communal Equipment Funding (FEICOM) (provides financial and advisory support to the municipality); Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation (CAMWATER) (ensures to supply water to the various public toilet sites).