Monrovia — Liberia is on the brink of adopting a comprehensive national plan to eliminate open defecation nationwide.

The proposed national roadmap details enforcement measures and infrastructure targets designed to improve sanitation and public health. Government officials confirm that the plan now awaits final approval from President Joseph Boakai before implementation can begin.

Open defecation--the practice of relieving oneself in open spaces rather than using a toilet--remains widespread in Liberia due to insufficient community-led sanitation programs and outdated or nonfunctional infrastructure in many areas. As a result, many residents without access to private toilets are forced to use streets, fields, beaches, bushes, forests, and drainage areas.

This practice not only pollutes the environment but also contributes to the spread of diseases among local populations.

Speaking recently in Monrovia, George W.K. Yarnko, Chief Executive Officer of the National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Commission (WASH), stated that the Commission has intensified efforts to address this longstanding issue since he assumed office. He revealed that a national roadmap has been developed and finalized, and once approved and signed by the President, it aims to eliminate open defecation in Liberia by 2030.

Yarnko emphasized that the plan's success will require the collective efforts of government institutions and citizens to effectively implement the strategy and address sanitation-related health challenges.