By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, yesterday affirmed the government’s commitment to improving public health, increasing climate resilience and ensuring that hard to reach communities have access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services by signing a Presidential Compact on Water and Sanitation.
The compact seeks to enhance political prioritisation and commitment; link policies to plans, programmes and projects; improve investments to meet priority challenges; strengthen ownership and leadership; and achieve good governance and accountability.
The compact was one of five announced by African Heads of State at the UN Water Conference in New York on 22 March 2023 and further discussed at the All Systems Connect International Symposium in the Hague in May 2023.
The compacts will accelerate access to water and sanitation services, including increasing budget allocations, reducing open defecation, and delivering climate resilient services.
It is supported, under the Heads of State Initiatives, by the Government of the Netherlands, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UNICEF, the Sanitation and Water for All partnership and IRC WASH.
Under the Presidential Compact, the third of its kind in Africa, Ghana government will allocate an estimated US$1.7 billion annually to WASH initiatives until 2030.
These funds will ensure that WASH services reach schools and healthcare facilities, as well as remote communities.
President Akufo-Addo speaking during the signing ceremony said; “The journey on which we are embarking is built on the fundamental truth that without WASH services, sustainable development will remain an elusive dream.
This Compact represents not the start, but the continuation and amplification of our efforts; a decisive step to ensure that every citizen, irrespective of their location or circumstance, enjoys sustainable access to these vital services.”
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan, addressing the gathering explained that the Presidential Compact, signed by the President of the Republic, shows how serious the Akufo Addo led administration take WASH issues.
She noted that Ghana brought the Compact to fruition just one year after it was announced as a commitment at the UN 2023 Water Conference.
The Compact will establish a National Sanitation Authority, which will support the government’s efforts to eliminate open defecation by 2030.
Furthermore, Ghana’s national climate strategy will now include building climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure and services, ensuring that the country is ready to address the challenges posed by increasing droughts and floods.
The Compact is the result of an extensive consultation process with government agencies, development partners, the academic community, and local civil society organizations.
These partners will serve in an advisory capacity for the Compact’s implementation, providing technical expertise and coordinated advocacy.
As Ghana leads the way with this Presidential Compact, it sets a powerful example for other countries to follow in the global push for universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
