Mr Abdul Gafaru Samani, Assistant Director 11A, has said. According to him, 90 per cent of the district population have access to improved water services, all the nine healthcare facilities have access to basic services, 66 out of 73 schools have access to basic water services.

Mr Sumani stated these on Thursday at a District Learning Alliance Platform (DILAP) on Asutifi North Ahonidie Mpuntuo (ANAM) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) at Kenyasi in the Ahafo region.

He said the initiative's key milestones under water provision in small communities are 226 boreholes, 5 limited mechanised Schemes, water stations in communities, 20 boreholes and limited mechanised systems provided in schools.

The Assistant Director indicated that the initiative has provided six limited mechanised systems in healthcare facilities, completed institutional latrines in 10 schools, six in healthcare facilities and provided assorted sanitary tools to health facilities.

 " it has also recruited Ambassadors to act as local champions and advocates for best WASH practices, building core group of representatives leading stakeholders to review issues, embarked on multiple outreach campaign using a toll - free telephone number" he stated.

Mr Sumani said a website, WASH radio programming, 10 Community Information Centers, 8 WhatsApp groups, Facebook, SMS messaging have been established with about 8,948 network members and 287 complaints resolved.

He added that 56 rural communities verified and certified under the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) while construction is on - going in additional 60 communities, mix of sanitation marketing approaches been applied, District and Regional Inter - Agency Coordinating Committees on Sanitation setup.

The Assistant Director emphasised that an ANAM WASH Desk has been created and organized to listen to and collect feedback, relay issues, and complaints, hired and trained staff to manage the WASH Desk and communication activities.

Under Water Quality Testing (WQT), he noted, a professional laboratory in the closest city provides monthly testing services, and an assurance fund provides financial safeguards; paying the lab in case the water systems cannot pay.

Additionally, the Assistant Director emphasized, water quality results are discussed regularly with water system managers and communities, water chlorination and branded water kiosk.

Mr Sumani said the vision of the initiative is that every person in Asutifi North District, by 2030 will have access to sustainable safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in a conducive environment where water resources are sustainably managed.

 Prisca Asenyee Dorsaah, a Senior Development Officer, ANDA, noted that DILAP aims at acting as a common learning space for new Districts coming onboard the Ahonidie Mpuntuo under WASH including the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo region.

Timelines of the WASH programme was partnership, planning, visioning and development of master plan in 2017, publication, launch of master plan and inception phase and resource mobilisation in 2018, and investment phase of master plan implementation in 2019 with full implementation in 2020 to 2030.

She noted that the objectives of the initiative are to improve access to WASH services for communities, schools and health care facilities, and to improve sustainable management and governance of WASH facilities.

The Senior Planning Officer added that it is also to improve water sources for communities, schools, healthcare facilities, and improve sanitation and hygiene behaviours and practices at homes and institutions.

Md Dorsaah bemoaned the challenges of the programme including overcoming initial barriers to working in partnership took some time, and inadequate funding constrained in the capacity of the implementing partners to fully implement it. She added that other constraints of the initiative were the limited investment in sanitation delivery, limited efforts in attracting Civil Society

 Organisations (CSOs) and private sector into the sanitation services. Md Dorsaah expressed gratitude to the partners of the ANAM - WASH initiative and other implementing agencies for the collaborative efforts to ensure a 90 per cent water access coverage in the Asutifi North district.

 Partners of the WASH initiative include WaterAid, aquaya, World Vision International, IRC, Safe Water Network, Conrad N Hilton Foundation, Asutifi North District Assembly (ANDA), CDC, Netcentric Campaigns, Department of Health and Human services.

The meeting was attended by staff of Asutifi North District Assembly (ANDA) and Tano North Municipal Assembly (TNMA), partners including IRC, Journalists, Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Health Service (GHS), WASH Ambassadors in the various communities among other stakeholder institutions.