Despite the huge investment it made into the provision of potable water, Ghana is far from supplying reliable sources of clean drinking water for all across the country, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said
The government, according to the President, in the last seven years have made some significant investments in the area of water provision with tangible evidence of progress, however, there remains a lot more to be done.
"Despite the challenges we have faced, we have made notable interventions and achieved significant milestones. In the last seven and a half years, we have successfully expanded access to clean water in both rural and underserved urban areas," he said.
President Akufo-Addo said more Ghanaians have access to reliable sources of clean drinking water thanks to the construction and rehabilitation of water treatment facilities across the nation.
President Akufo-Addo said this at the signing of the Presidential Compact on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) at the Jubilee House in Accra on Wednesday.
The WASH Compact is a strategic multi-stakeholder partnership agreement that seeks to foster inclusive development and safeguard public health, while also advancing broader socio-economic objectives.
WASH comprise the policies, programmes and actions to address the critical gaps in access to clean water, adequate sanitation and hygiene services.
The President said the signing of the presidential compact is built on the fundamental truth that without these basic services, sustainable development would remain an illusion.
The Presidential Compact, according to him, is a historic step in the pursuit of universal access to clean water, adequate sanitation and hygiene for all, adding: "Government's agenda for water and sanitation for all has not been empty rhetoric."
President Akufo-Addo said investments made by his government have helped Ghanaians have access to reliable sources of clean drinking water.
That, he said, has consequently reduced the time women and children spend fetching water allowing them to focus on education and economic activities.
On sanitation, President Akufo-Addo said the vision to eliminate open defecation had seen remarkable progress.
Resilient household toilets had been constructed with several liquid waste treatment plants having been established to ensure the safe management of liquid, solid and medical waste nationwide.
Since 2017, in collaboration with the Country's partners, the government has constructed some 250,000 household toilets to improve sanitation across the country.
To manage liquid waste effectively, three treatment plants, each with a capacity of 1,000 cubic meters, have been built in Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi in partnership with the private sector to treat faecal matter.
Additionally, President Akufo-Addo said two sewage systems with a total capacity of 2,400 cubic meters per day had been constructed in Ashaiman-Newtown and Bankuman within the Tema metropolitan area, benefiting some 44,500 residents of low-income urban communities.
The Director/Representative of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Mrs Ifeoma Charles-Monwuba on her part, hinted that the signing of the compact is not only a commitment of the Ghanaian government to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6.1.
SDG 6.1, which talks about universal access to water and sanitation for developing countries by 2030, has seen demonstrable investment made into the provision of clean portable drinking water for Ghanaians.
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She said these investments made and the achievements in the water sector show President Akufo-Addo's efforts to improve the wellbeing of all Ghanaians.
Mrs Ifeoma Charles-Monwuba added, "It also aligns seamlessly with the priorities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Ghana 2023-2025 and the priorities of the Development Cooperation Community."
She said the WASH Compact emphasised the importance of robust governance frameworks and enhanced coordination among various sectors.
"The Government of Ghana's leadership in fostering these frameworks is commendable," Mrs Ifeoma stated.
By integrating WASH priorities into national policies and ensuring accountability through clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, Mr Ifeoma Charles-Monwuba said this Compact will significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery across the country," he emphasised.
