Executive Committee and the entire membership of the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) have commended government for introducing national sanitation campaign.
According to the coalition, they are excited about government’s commitment and resolve to address Ghana’s sanitation problems.
Addressing the media in Accra yesterday, Vice Chairman of CONIWAS, Mr Attah Arhin, explained that Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) were fundamentals for all developmental efforts.
“Indeed, no strategy for poverty reduction can ignore people’s vital requirements for improved WASH services. Access to safe water, improved sanitation and appropriate hygiene practices have multiplier effects on health, education, food security, poverty reduction and socio-economic development,” he said.
The CONIWAS vice chairman noted that even though Ghana had made remarkable gains in safe water delivery, the same could not be said about sanitation and hygiene services.
According to him, available data showed that currently only 15% of Ghana’s population has access to improved sanitation (improved toilet facilities that hygienically separate faecal matter from human contact).
“Over 19% of Ghanaians practice open defecation, 60% of the population share latrines, while over 58% of solid waste is either crudely or indiscriminately disposed of.
“It is in this respect that the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation commends the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and government for launching such an ambitious project which promises to be comprehensive with greater coordination,” he stated.
“We are excited at the presidential support, level of social mobilisation and provisions for enforcement and compliance,” Mr Arhin added.
“It is important to note that 22,000 tons of plastic waste is generated annually in Ghana. Sadly, only 2% of this waste is recycled. The other 21,560 tons find their way into drains, gutters, streets, and everywhere, often cogging sewage lines,” he pointed out.
This, he said, fosters negative health implications such as cholera outbreaks as well as floods,” he said.
The coalition therefore, expressed its commitment to support this laudable project and pledged to work with the sector ministry, agencies and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that Ghanaians become the ultimate beneficiaries.
Story: Franklin Asare-Donkoh