By: Rachel Kakraba
UNICEF says reliability of water supply to Ghanaians remains a major challenge, as one in three water points does not function. This affects the day to day activities of people especially children who have to trek long distances in search of water. The situation also sees the majority of adolescent girls miss school days as they become uncomfortable during menstruation because WASH facilities are not available in their schools.
“Ghana has made steady progress in water supply. You can see that between the 2017 and 2021, there had been a gain of eight, seven percentage point in excess to water”
Chief of WASH, UNICEF-Ghana, Ramesh Bhusal, made this known during a media engagement with some selected journalists in Accra. The meeting deepened understanding of the media on UNICEF’S Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, WASH, initiatives in Ghana. Mr. Bhusal said although such progress has been achieved rural areas continue to lag behind.
“Rural areas are still far behind, 74% in rural and 98% in urban areas. The bigger caveat is also on the reliability. Does water flow every day? That’s an issue. Different reports suggest that one in three water points, if you go to survey right now, 100, you will find that 30 water points don’t function”
He said nationwide, there are challenges with water quality which cuts across various water sources which includes improved and non-improved water points, adding Ghanaians are at the risk of consuming contaminated water, especially as one in every six households practice open defecation.
“Three in four Ghanaians are at risk of drinking contaminated water with fecal matter, this is a national survey we are talking about”
Mr. Bhusal, stated that the use of sachet water as primary source of drinking water among Ghanaians has seen a 14 percent increase in the spate of about five years. This development, he said, is worrying as aside from cost it also has negative consequences on the environment due to indiscriminate disposal of waste after use.
“14 percent of households are using sachet water as their primary source of drinking. If for some reason sachet water is not around, they may drink tap water after boiling or whatever”
He emphasized that improving confidence in tap water is a priority that must be championed.
“We have to get consumer confidence in tap water and that improving water quality, improving reliability, is the way forward”
Wash Specialist UNICEF Ghana, Sammuel Amoako-Mensah, underscored the importance of maintaining the integrity of water from production to consumption, which ensures water quality.
“The danger is not in the fact that you are drinking a sachet. The danger is the fact that we all assume that because we call it pure water, it’s pure. So, we handle it anyhow, and then at the point of drinking, we assume it is still safe and we drink it”
He said “your handling practices inform also the quality of water you are drinking”
The meeting was the second in the “UNICEF Ghana Media Café” series which brought together journalists & editors to deepen their understanding of UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives in Ghana.
