Jirapa-Ghana, (UWR), Oct. 31, M-CODe/WV/GAMA – According to Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, some 815 localities in the Upper West Region have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) certification.
He added that there was now a chance for 24 other communities identified as having OD to become ODF members.
During the 34th Mole Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) conference, which is now taking place in Jirapa, the region, Dr. Salih made this statement during the inaugural session.
A four-day MOLEXXXIV conference on the theme “building inclusive and resilient Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) systems to reach the unserved” is being organised by CONIWAS with assistance from its partners.
Approximately 170 people are expected to attend, including legislators, government representatives, practitioners, Members of Parliament (MPs), and Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs).
The Media Coalition against Open Defecation (M-CODe) members are also being sponsored by World Vision Ghana and the GAMA Sanitation and Water Project to participate in the conference.
Dr. Salih expressed the hope that the Coalition will continue to support and help improve the region’s sanitation issue and partially ascribed the accomplishments to stakeholders ongoing support.
Regarding water supply, the regional minister stated that although 76 percent of the territory was covered by water, many of the communities still struggled to obtain clean drinking water.
Dr. Salih stated that greater assistance was needed from stakeholders and other delivery partners in order to provide water and WASH delivery services in the area, characterising potable drinking water as a basic human need.
The government’s commitment to establishing the National Water Policy was highlighted by Dr. Freda Prempeh, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, who started the meeting.
“A memo was laid before the cabinet for consideration, but unfortunately it was decided that the establishment be put on hold as a result of the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) negotiations, and we will get cabinet approval once the current economic hurdles have been cleared” , she said.
According to Dr. Prempeh, the National Water Policy’s adoption would make it possible to implement more extensive sector changes for the water subsector.
The CWSA bill, which is being created for the Cabinet and Parliament, will include provisions for these revisions.
A major player in the provision of WASH services was the private sector, which was led by Dr. Prempeh, a member of parliament (MP) for Tano North Constituency in the Ahafo Region.
“They will play a critical role as we march on to provide WASH services nationwide with our sole aim of meeting the SDGs come the year 2030,” said Prempeh.
