Abstract

Public toilets are an essential means of sanitation in some developed countries and have been the only possible
alternative for many people living in low-income, heavily populated, and informal settlements. The aim of this study
was to assess the problems associated with the use of public latrine system in Ife-north local government, Osun
State. The data used for the study were obtained through well-structured questionnaires. A total of 181
questionnaires were distributed and 150 questionnaires were retrieved, while 31 questionnaires were missing. The
respondents were selected randomly for the study. The descriptive statistics showed that male respondents were the
major participants in this study. 80% of the respondents in the study area had access to public toilet. The respondents
identified Sit latrine as the major type of latrine system available in the area. This study revealed that majority
(40.66%) of the households used the latrine every day and the latrine was being maintained properly by the
community. The result of this study showed that 86.66% of the respondents were reported to have contacted diseases
as a result of public latrine use. This study has shown that poor maintenance of practice exposed the users of latrine
to various diseases. This study recommended that Community leaders must ensure that users have been sensitized
on the correct use, appropriate maintenance, hand washing and other basic hygiene practices
Keywords: Public toilets, sanitation, developed countries