CHAPTER TWO: THE EVOLUTION OF SANITATION POLICIES AND ADMINISTRATION
IN AGONA SWEDRU (1920–2000)
2.0 Introduction
Purpose of the chapter
Overview of the three main periods
Significance of tracing administrative evolution
2.1 Pre-Colonial Sanitation Practices and Traditional Administration in Agona Swedru (Before
1920)
Indigenous waste management and hygiene practices
Traditional systems of environmental control
The role of traditional authorities in maintaining sanitation
2.2 Colonial Sanitation Administration (1920–1957)
2.2.1 Colonial Administrative Structure
Centralized public health administration
Role of the Medical Department and Sanitary Inspectors
2.2.2 Key Colonial Sanitation Policies and Regulations
Drainage, refuse disposal, toilet provision, and water supply
Sanitary inspections and housing controls
2.2.3 Policy Implementation and Local Responses in Agona Swedru
How policies were applied locally
Challenges and local resistance/adaptation
2.3 Post-Independence Sanitation Administration (1957–1987)
2.3.1 Institutional Reorganization
Restructuring of health institutions after independence
National development plans and sanitation goals
2.3.2 Continuities and Changes in Sanitation Administration (1957-1987)
Persistence of colonial systems and infrastructure
Expansion of services and new health education initiatives
2.3.3 Persistent Administrative and Resource Challenges
Financial and technical constraints
Impact of rapid urbanization on sanitation management
2.4 Decentralization and Local Governance (1988–2000)
2.4.1 Decentralization Reforms and Legal Framework
The Local Government Act (Act 462) and PNDC Law 207
Transfer of sanitation responsibilities to District Assemblies
2.4.2 Sanitation Administration under the Agona West District/Municipal Assembly
Role of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department
Public-private partnerships and the "Toilet Wars"
Budgetary and logistical challenges
2.4.3 Impact and Assessment of Decentralization Reforms
Successes and failures in sanitation management
The gap between policy and implementation
2.5 Conclusion
Summary of key findings
Continuities and changes over the three periods
Transition to Chapter Three (infrastructure and urban growth)