NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The one public bathroom in Ponkrum collapsed a few years ago. An effort to build a new one yielded a large pit that is used for trash, not defecation. For the people living in the small village near the Ghanian coast, there is no other option than going out in the open.

They are a part of the 15 percent of people globally, a total of nearly 1 billion, who still defecate in the open. The practice is responsible for nearly 280,000 deaths caused by diarrhea each year. Governments and NGOs have sought to end the practice through various campaigns. New evidence suggests that subsidies are key to success.