Ghana needs $200m to tackle sanitation- Bagbin

WASH United Ghana, a sanitation oriented non-governmental organisation (NGO) was launched in Accra on Friday with a new innovative approach to the promotion of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the country as its core function.

Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alban Sumana Kinsford Bagbin who performed the launch disclosed that Ghana needs at least US$ 200 million per annum over time to tackle head-on sanitation-related problems the country is saddled with.

For this reason, he said the ministry had developed a SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) for the development and execution of its policies for the water, sanitation and hygiene for the country.

“It is now widely accepted that Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) are critical measures of a nation’s standard of living, Mr. Bagbin noted, adding, “To have a healthy and prosperous citizenry, you must first have access to safe and clean environment.”

He said although the country would exceed the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for water, that of sanitation could be missed.

He said the government recognizes the important role of safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, “not only as a catalyst for socio-economic development, but also as an ingredient for personal well-being.”

“This is why at the ministry we have rededicated ourselves to the rallying battle cry of “ Water to the people, not People to the water,” Hon. A.S.K Bagbin stated.

He said by this guiding principle, the ministry will deliver key benefits such as the prevention of water-borne disease, ensure reduction in mortality and morbidity rates as well as reduce post-natal risks.

He said his ministry would also work at ensuring higher enrolment of especially girls in school by reducing the hours they have to spend looking for water, enhance the dignity of women and their ability to lead as well as bring about an increased productivity by Ghanaian farmers and workforce.

He commended management of WASH United Ghana for the innovative dimension they have brought to the Ministry's commitment in ensuring that Ghanaians had access to adequate water, good sanitation and hygienic services.

“I wish to note however that any campaign aimed at making public and personal hygiene a way of life must necessarily involve sustained public education, not only to create awareness of the problem, but more importantly to go further to change attitudes and negative behaviours regarding public and personal hygiene.

Wash-United whose Ghana launch was timed to coincide with the opening of the 2010 World Cup tournament being hosted by South Africa was established by a German NGO Brot fur die Welt and is operational in about eight African countries.

Ghana Country Coordinator of WASH-United, Rudolf Amega-Etego, observed that about 900 million people lack access to drinking water while 2.5 billion people had no access to improved sanitation.

"Also more than one billion people have absolutely no place to attend nature's call, forcing them to use buckets, plastic bags or nearby bushes and shrubs," he said.

He that preventable diseases caused by polluted water and poor sanitation kills a child under five years every 20 seconds or more than 4,000 daily.

He said that every year, 443 million school attendance days were lost due to sicknesses caused by poor water and sanitation, thereby depriving children the chance of better future.

“Apart from the direct human cost, current crisis in water and sanitation undermines efforts towards overall economic development,” he stated, noting that Ghana had serious challenges of providing adequate water for all rural and urban residents.