ustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure remains a major challenge for many communities and public healthcare facilities in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region.
Many communities, healthcare and educational facilities markets and households continue to face limited access to sustainable potable water supply, and sanitation facilities such as toilets, incinerators, and latrines.
The challenges did not only place a burden on rural communities trekking for long distances in search of water but particularly posed threats to the ability of healthcare facilities in the areas to provide quality health services without WASH-related challenges.
This came to light at a community-duty bearer forum at Zebilla, organised by WaterAid Ghana, a WASH-focused organisation, as part of the implementation of the Enhancing WASH (En-WASH) project rolled out in collaboration with Global communities.
The forum was aimed at creating a platform for the communities to engage with the duty bearers in
cluding the District Assembly, to identify challenges facing their communities, especially around access to WASH and urged the Assemblies to prioritise them.
Mr Ezekiel Atubiga, the Secretary of the Boya Community Health Management Committee, explained that the Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound in the area did not have a toilet for clients and the borehole meant for the facility was not mechanised so its use was limited.
He said the issue posed serious challenges to the residents, especially pregnant and lactating mothers who visited the facility to access various services and appealed to the Bawku West District for assistance.
‘Apart from that, the facility needs expansion because there are several units without offices creating overcrowding and we will be happy if that is looked at.
‘Already, we have initiated a building project in support of that through community fundraising but we need support to complete it,’ he said.
Mr Ayaaba Mohammed, the Secretary of the Zongoire Communit
y Health Management Committee, indicated that the health facility in the area did not have potable water, making disease prevention and control difficult for health workers.
He said many households in the community did not have latrines, compelling residents to defecate in the open and appealed for support to help vulnerable households build latrines.
Ms Molly Dasoberi Maalinuo, Project Assistant, WaterAid Ghana, noted that the En-WASH project aimed to facilitate access to and use of sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services and products in target districts by employing a systems-strengthening approach.
The beneficiary districts are Binduri, Bawku West, Garu, and Tempane.
‘One of the objectives is to increase the use of sustainable, equitable, quality, district-wide WASH services in communities and health care facilities (HCF) and adopt sustainable district-wide WASH practices in households, communities, and Health Care Facilities,’ she said.
She explained that through the project, community ad
vocacy teams had been formed and their capacities built to liaise with community members to identify WASH-related challenges and demand enhanced infrastructure and services from the Assemblies.
Mr Alhassan Ahmed, the Bawku West District Coordinating Director, commended WaterAid Ghana for facilitating the engagement and noted that it had helped the Assembly to be aware of many of the challenges facing the communities especially those in the hard-to-reach areas.
‘The Assembly is constrained with resources, but we assure you that some of these challenges will be considered in our next planning process,’ he said.
Source: Ghana News Agency