The coordinator of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Water Project (SWP), Mr George Asiedu, has called on school authorities to ensure effective maintenance of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities established within their institutions.
This, he said, was necessary given the substantial financial investments undertaken into the projects.
The GAMA-SWP is a US$150-million World Bank grant initiative which started in August 2014 to support the government's efforts to increase access to improved sanitation and water supply in the GAMA, with emphasis on low-income communities and to strengthen management of environmental sanitation.
Speaking at a day's knowledge sharing forum on operation and maintenance of school sanitation and water facilities in Accra yesterday, he said, Ghana was among the few countries in Africa that had taken sanitation and water issues seriously to the extent of creating various departments to handle such matters.
"We are poised on doubling our efforts towards achieving a safe and clean environment for all. That is the objective we are pursuing.
"Ensuring proper maintenance of sanitation infrastructure is very necessary because they are very capital intensive so if you do not meticulously ensure that such crucial facilities are well maintained, you will be causing the nation a great disservice," he stressed.
At its initial stage, he revealed that the project ensured the provision of 406 sanitation facilities to schools adding that all the facilities were disability and gender friendly.
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According to Mr Asiedu, good sanitation infrastructure contributes to the creation of conducive teaching and learning environment therefore his outfit would give of its best in ensuring the success of the GAMA project.
He said "We do not want to see any child skipping school because of absence of decent washrooms. School children losing lesson hours because they have to rush back home any time they want to respond to nature's call is very wrong and so we will keep giving of our best to ensure this unpleasant situation becomes a thing of the past," he added.
He also expressed worry about the situation where some school girls stayed at home during their menstrual cycles due to the unavailability of decent washrooms in their schools.
Describing such instances as worrying, Mr Asiedu stated that, the government had taken various steps to curb the menace "but we need the support of everyone especially heads of beneficiary schools."
The Coordinator, School of Health Education, La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly, Ms Constance Owuah Sekyere, reiterated the need for all stakeholders including the Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) to get involved in the maintenance of such facilities.
She stressed that the system could not work unless all stakeholders were engaged.
Promoting good hygiene practices, she said also helped prevent WASH related diseases among children therefore increasing access to sanitation facilities must also come with ensuring proper hygiene to protect users.
In her submission, headmistress of the Papao Community Presby Basic School in the Ga East Municipality, Mrs Sophia Tsidi, urged coordinators of the GAMA project to ensure there was easy access to water at all the sanitation infrastructure put up.
