Stop This Unhygienic Practice Now: Children Defecating in Polythene Bags in Wa Township

It is both disturbing and heartbreaking to witness an unhygienic practice gradually becoming normal in some parts of Wa township—young children openly defecating into black polythene bags near public toilets.

In many communities within the township, children as young as four or five can be seen clutching small black plastic bags. They squat, hold the bags beneath their buttocks, and defecate directly into them. Afterwards, they tie up the bags and throw them into nearby rubbish bins. Sadly, this practice happens in broad daylight, often in the presence of adults who look on as if it were normal.

This habit is not only unhygienic and dehumanising but also poses serious health risks. It exposes children and the wider community to diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, and other sanitation-related infections. Worse still, after defecating, many of these children do not properly wash their hands before eating any food they are served, increasing their risk of infection. Some even soil themselves in the process of tying up and disposing of the bags, further compounding the health dangers.

What is more worrying is that these children grow up seeing this as acceptable behaviour and continue the same practice in their homes, even when there are functioning toilets available. This shows a serious gap in both public health education and proper sanitation infrastructure that accommodates the needs of all age groups.

If parents believe that their young children cannot use adult-sized toilet facilities, then it is time for planners, engineers, and local authorities to rethink the design of public toilets. Each facility should include child-friendly units that are smaller, safer, and easier for children to use. This simple addition can prevent children from resorting to this unhygienic and dangerous practice.

Equally important is the need for community sensitisation. Parents must be educated about the health risks associated with allowing their children to defecate into polythene bags. Local assemblies, health officers, and NGOs working in the Wa Municipality should collaborate to intensify public education on proper child sanitation and hygiene practices.

The children are our future leaders, and we must ensure they grow up healthy under clean and hygienic conditions. It is the duty of every parent, community leader, and local authority to protect them from preventable diseases and to help them form good sanitation habits from childhood.

The authorities must be proactive—acting before disaster strikes. We cannot continue to wait until there is an outbreak of cholera or another sanitation-related disease before rushing to implement measures that could have been taken earlier. The time to act is now. This unhygienic practice must stop immediately before it grows into a public health crisis that we could have easily prevented.