ABSTRACT
In West Africa, urbanization has outpaced the provision of sanitation infrastructure and services. Only a fraction of cities has sewer systems and most domestic wastewater ends in drains and streams. Vegetable farmers in and around the cities have problems finding (any) unpolluted surface water sources for irrigation. Consequently, most vegetables found on urban markets are highly contaminated. In the case of Accra, every day, about 200,000 urban dwellers consume street food containing a portion of raw vegetables from these sources. As wastewater treatment facilities are unreliable, non-treatment options for health risk reduction at other entry points, namely farms, markets and kitchens, are currently being explored in line with WHO’s multiple barrier approach. This research addresses the constraints farmers face in adopting common recommendations, such as using different irrigation methods or changing types of crop; and examines a variety of other options for on-farm risk mitigation. The latter have a high potential to reduce helminth egg counts, while improved washing practices prior to vegetable preparation can reduce the bacterial contamination considerably. Initiatives to safeguard public health have to consider the right balance between the provision of incentives (market channels for safer produce, good press, rewards and recognition) and applying pressure or sanctions to comply with realistic hygiene standards especially in the post-harvest sector.
