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Asutifi North District WASH Initiative Launched

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh says the implementation of government’s coordinated social and economic development policies in the country was a demonstration of government’s commitment towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Date Created : 3/19/2018 : Story Author : Kombat B. Maxwell/Ghanadistricts.com

He therefore called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to partner government as the co-chair of the SDGs to demonstrate leadership, commitment and support for projects and interventions aimed towards the achievement of the SDGs.

The Regional Minister made these known when he launched the “Asutifi North District Ahonodie Mpontuo” WASH Initiative (ANAM WASH Initiative), an initiative formulated in line with SDG 6 which seeks to galvanize support, resources and expertise of strategic partners to ensure inhabitants of the district have access to safe and reliable water and sanitation services by the year 2030 and beyond.

He observed the establishment of the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation is to ensure coherence in policy formulation and coordination of synergies among actors in Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) interventions to consolidate all existing national policies on sanitation.

He therefore entreated the assembly and institutions to take leadership in identifying innovative ways of funding their development.

He lamented the Joint Monitoring Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) reveals an estimated 159 million people still collect drinking water directly from unsafe sources, while 892 million still defecate in the open.

“UNICEF-Ghana has reported that about 4,000 Ghanaian children die each from diarrhea, and about 26% of Ghanaian children suffer from stunting. While handwashing can reduce diarrhea and pneumonia by up to 50%, less than 15% of Ghanaian households have handwashing facilities. While improved sanitation can reduce diarrhea rates by 36%, only 15% of Ghanaians have access to improved sanitation”, he lamented.

Hon. Asomah-Cheremeh therefore, commended the Asutifi North District Assembly for demonstrating collective resolve to tackle the areas developmental challenges and therefore urged residents and stakeholders to change their attitude towards WASH and support the initiative for the betterment of Ghana.

The Country Director of IRC-Ghana, Vida Duti in an address said the development of ANAM WASH Initiative is to accelerate the rate of progress and demonstrate how to attain full WASH coverage in a district consideration the slow progress made with the implementation of the Ghana Water Sector Strategic Development Plan (2014) according to the Joint Monitoring Programme 2017 report.

She said the Asutifi North District was selected through rigorous and diligent process and therefore appealed to stakeholders to support the initiative is aimed at improving access to basic water services by 2030.

The Initiative is funded by Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (CNHF) Grantees and implemented by IRC-Ghana in collaboration with the Asutifi North District Assembly and with support from CNHF partners: Safe Water Network (SWN), World Vision International, Netcentric Campaigns, Aquaya Institute and National foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF), Water.org Inc and GIZ.

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Asutifi North District WASH Initiative Launched

Date Created : 3/19/2018 : Story Author : Kombat B. Maxwell/Ghanadistricts.com

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