Open defecation practice and its determinants among households in sub-Saharan Africa: pooled prevalence and multilevel analysis of 33 sub-Saharan Africa countries demographic and health survey.

Open defecation practice remains a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Individual level factors, such as age, educational attainment, media exposure, household wealth status, and access to drinking water had an association with open defecation practice. Moreover, community level factors such as residence, country income status and region in SSA have a significant effect on open defecation. There is a significantly disproportional pro-poor distribution of open defecation practice in SSA. Each country should prioritize eliminating open defecation practices that focused poorest communities, rural societies, and limited water access areas. Media exposure and education should be strengthened. Moreover, public health interventions should target to narrow the poor-rich gap in the open defecation practice among households including provisions of subsidies to the poor. Policymakers and program planners better use this evidence as preliminary evidence to plan and decide accordingly.