By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR), Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan has urged stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector to renew their commitment, re-calibrate plans and programmes to align with the Ministry’s mission of ensuring universal access to WASH services.
“Today I lead the charge, for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to achieving universal access to safe water, improved sanitation, and better hygiene for all Ghanaians and to chart a course that will accelerate our progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 and beyond,” the minister said
The Minister, delivering a keynote address at a high-level meeting on Ghana’s Presidential Compact on WASH held in Accra, reiterated that the government through the MSWR is open to welcoming everyone regardless of creed or tribe or nationality.
She was of the view that the signing of the Presidential Compact on WASH has given the sector yet another good springing board to even deliver more, to enable the country to get closer to its national and by extension international targets.
According to her Ghana’s quest to increase access to water, sanitation and hygiene services to everyone living anywhere has taken a new momentum thus, everybody needs to put their shoulders on the wheel to ensure that we achieve this objective.
“We must work together to win this fight at all cost, as millions of unserved and underserved Ghanaians cannot wait any longer for this basic and yet very vital service.
The doors of the ministry are open, for together we can go very far,” she added.
The MSWR minister indicated that WASH has become a fundamental human right and it is important for the Government and its partners to double their steps in bridging the wide gap in access, especially in the sanitation sub-sector.
“To these people, who still do not have access, it means illnesses, absence from school, lack of convenience and dignity, walking of long distances leading to loss of livelihood and economic opportunities, environmental challenges and what have you. We do not have to fail these people,” said.