Assessment of the Current Operating Status of On-Site Sanitation Facilities: A Case Study of Selected Neighborhoods in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire

Sanitation remains often overlooked in urban policies and development projects in developing countries such as Côte d’Ivoire. Several factors impede effective sanitation management. Therefore, an assessment of the operating status of sanitation facilities was conducted across the Millionnaire, Assabou, Kokrénou, and Sopim neighbourhoods of Yamoussoukro, and 498 households were surveyed out of 3,672 (14%). Field observations, socioeconomic characteristics, and operating status of the facilities were documented. The findings showed that 31.40% of household members had completed primary school and that monthly household incomes ranged from F CFA 100,000 to F CFA 200,000. Furthermore, the findings indicated that some sanitation facilities were in a state of disrepair. Shower wastewater was discharged directly into the environment in the neighbourhoods of Assabou, Kokrénou, and Sopim. More than 50% of low-income households had damaged latrines and septic tanks, unlike high-income households. The uncontrolled discharge of wastewater into streets and gutters, backflow of water into septic tanks, and insect infestations in latrines, coupled with the dumping of septic sludge in courtyards, contribute significantly to environmental degradation, thereby posing serious health risks to the population. Household reports of malaria, typhoid fever, diarrhoea, dysentery and cholera were discussed in relation to sanitation and hygiene conditions within households. Unsanitary conditions pose a real health risk. It is therefore important to design adequate and appropriate facilities to prevent wastewater from flowing into the streets and raise awareness among households about proper usage.