Political parties reaffirm commitment to WASH

Representatives of some political parties have reaffirmed their commitment towards featuring Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related activities in their respective manifestos to improve the lives and health of the citizenry.

They include the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Great Consolidate People’s Party (GCPP), People’s National Congress (PNC) and Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).

It was brought together by Alliance for WASH Advocacy, a non-governmental organisation with support from WaterAid Ghana as a follow up to previous event which tasked political parties to prioritise WASH activities.

Participants were of the view that giving top priority to drinking water and sanitation in their respective manifestos would not only improve the quality of WASH services but also improve health and education sectors of the country’s development agenda.

Speaking to the media, George Yorke, Head of Policy, Advocacy, and Campaigns at WaterAid Ghana, noted that issues of water and sanitation were of great concern and special attention was needed to the sectors.

“Ghana is struggling to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) standards on safe water, the country is performing poorly on indicators and 78 per cent of Ghanaians have basic access to an improved source of water within 30 minutes round trip to collect, however, the country is faced with daunting challenge of basic sanitation, with 86 per cent of the population not having a decent sanitation facility,” he noted.

The Convener for Alliance for WASH Advocacy, Madam Nora Ollenu, said the country was in critical stage in the fight to get clean water, decent sanitation and good hygiene to its people.

“We know that if everyone, everywhere is able to access clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, then we can help end the scourge of extreme poverty and create sustainable future but we have to act now to make this a reality,” she stressed.

She indicated the need for government to prioritise water, sanitation and hygiene by ensuring that proper financing is put in place to build a more sustainable country today and for future generations.

BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY