MOLE 25

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Julius Debrah  has challenge stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, to use the conference to formulate  concrete  implementable  strategies to address the gap between water and sanitation target in the MDG by 2015. According to him the conference will be an indicator to assess the success of the sector. Mr. Debrah said this at the 25th Mole Conference of the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation in Accra. Under the theme: mole conference series at 25: reflection to define the future. The conference attracted stakeholders in the WASH sector to come together to deliberate on strategic plan and implementation that will help improve the Water Sanitation and Hygiene  in the country. The conference also create a platform to discuss  challenges confronting the sector since mole one. 25 years of the establishment of mole in Ghana, the WASH sector have seen a tremendously growth in the country, which according to the joint monitoring fund report, Ghana has achieved it water target in the MDGs. Mr. Debrah noted that Ghana cannot achieve its target in the Millennium Development Goals in sanitation by 2015, adding that the currently, Ghana  has achieved 13 percent out of the 54 percent in sanitation. He said with the issue of water, Ghana has already achieved it target in the Millennium Development Goals  even though there are some erratic nature of services in the water delivery. Touching on the current cholera case Mr. Debrah said at as January 1st up to date the country has recorded over 16 thousand cases with a cases fatality rate of zero point eight percent. He attributed these to lack of proper hygiene. He pledge government support to provide the needed resource to personnel to enable them fright the disease. The Team Leader for the Innovation Service Limited, Stanley Walters Attafi has called for the assessment of Civil Society Organizations and the private sector to serve as database for the sector information for monitoring, evaluation and also provide input into the preparation of the Sanitation Water for All , SWA for the SSDP. According to him will help monitor progress in the Civil Society Organizations. He stressed on the need for comprehensive assessment to fully understand the positions these actors that is the big or small to have equal space to participate in all sector programs.  Touching on the Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project, SRWSP, he said a sub-component of the Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project will help support the establishment of a robust Sector Information System, SIS to facilitate information sharing, coordination, and to enhance Monitoring and Evaluation roles among WASH actors. A Consultant also a former director of water at the Ministry of Water Resource Works and Housing, Minta Aboagye said a new development Goals and Targets are being formulated for the WASH sector by the UN-Water and its collaborating agencies to replace the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs for the next 15 years beginning 2016 to 2030. The new development goals will target hundred percent in the WASH sector. He said for the new development agenda emphasizes on Sustainability, in service delivery, adding that Water will have its own target but will not be decoupled from the broad goal for the environment.  He said critical examination of progress at its annual Conferences, raising the necessary flags to alert government should there be slippages on the way, and to provide workable suggestions towards achieving the targets. He said the United Nationals noted serious limitations in the formulation of the MDG target for water and sanitation, which is: “halving the population without access to potable water and sanitation facilities by 2015.  The conference was organized by CONIWAS and Sponsored by Water Aid Ghana.

15/10/13                                                   GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY

 

ANN: The Member of Parliament for Odododiodio, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, has called on Ghanaians to champion the hand washing with soap campaign in their various communities. This awareness creation according to him, will help reduce cholera, diarrhea and respiratory infections in the Country, as well as sustain the momentum gathered in the advocacy for hand washing with soap under running water. Mr. Vanderpuije said this at the national celebration of the Global Hand Washing Day in Accra. It was on the theme, Choose Hand Washing, Choose Health. Hagar Sey reports.

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The Global Hand Washing Day is celebrated annually to create awareness on hand washing with soap under running water, as a safe way for preventing communicable diseases. The national celebration in the Odododiodioo constituency, attracted chiefs and other stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, sector. Mr. Vanderpuye said this year’s theme is appropriate; saying it gives the individual the power to reduce preventable diseases like cholera and other disease. He said available statistics show that from first January to October 6, this year, the Country recorded 20 thousand 279 cases of cholera with 164 deaths in nine out of the 10 regions. He said Greater Accra had the highest cases recording 16 thousand 550 with 111 deaths. He said areas like La Dadekotopon, Ga South and the Accra Metropolis were the worst hit areas. Mr Vanderpuije said the Day is expected to reveal the practical issues of unhygienic practices that underpin the importance of hand washing with soap, encourage people to practice hand washing with soap. He appealed to Ghanaians especially residents of Odododiodio, to make hand washing with soap their top priority in their daily activities. The Chief Executive of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Clement Bugase, said the main aim of this year’s celebration is to shift the awareness towards sustainable behavioural change with focus on practice and not only he awareness. He urged all stakeholders in the WASH sector to continue to support this course to achieve the objectives of the Day.

ZENU WATER PROBLEM

 

over thousands of Residents in Zenu a suburb of Ashaiman lack access to potable water. according to the residents, for several years, the fast growing community cannot boast of any source of pipe borne water, they only depend on the irrigation dam in the community which also sever as a drinking water to other animals. they appealing to the Minister for Water Resources, works and Housing, and the President to as a mater of urgency to provide them with potable water to avoid any out break of diseases.

NINGO WATER PROBLEM

7/02/13                                                              POOR WASH IN NINGO

Residents of Old-Ningo in the Ningo-Prampram District are in dire need of potable water. They rely solely on water tankers for water in the community which the source is not known. Speaking to Obonu news, a resident who spoke on anomity said for many years the community do not to have access to pipe born water, adding that they have to buy at least four gallons of water for their daily uses which he said is expensive. The residents expressed their worried to our reporter Hagar sey.

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ANN: that was Hagar sey report read to you.

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A visit to the place confirms the water situation in the town. It also confirms that the source of the water given to them by the tanker drivers is not known. The visit also revealed that some residents have taken the advange of the situation to make business by constructing a manhole and storing water to sell to the people. Speaking to the asafoatse of the Ningo traditional area, Asafoatse Odoi expressed worry over the water situation in the town. According to him, if the water tankers fail come to the town, the entire community will not have access to water.

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ANN: Asafoatse Odoi also expressed worry over poor sanitation practice in the town.  According to him open defecation is a common practice in the town. This he said is as a result of the town not having enough public toilet and also residents not having toilet facilities in their homes.  He said currently the town has only four public toilet serving more than five thousand people in the town.

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ANN: He appealed to government to come to their aid to avoid any outbreak of communicable disease in the town.   

GCWP WORKSHOP

17/09/14                                                 GWP WORKSHOP

ANN: Water, they say is life, but lack of water security has a serious implication in a nation’s development.  According to the Global Water Partnership,  Global strategy 2009 to 2013 argues that sustainable development will not be achieved  without a water security world; thus  protecting the citizenry from  floods, droughts, landslides, erosion and water-borne diseases,  as well as addressing  environmental protection and the negative effects of poor management.  In this regard, the Global Water Partnership has organized a three-day training workshop for Journalists in Accra on reporting on Water issues and Climate Change in Ghana. Here is a report by Hagar Sey.

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ANN:  Those were views of some members of the public on climate change.

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ANN: The workshop was to train Journalists to enhance their reportage and understand technical issues on water and climate change to enable them to disseminate information well to the general public. Stakeholders in the water sector shared ideas with the participants as to how best they can educate the public on water security and climax change. The Manager of the Ghana Country Water Partnership, Maxwell Boateng Gyimah, said the workshop is to promote water security and climate resilience as a key development. Mr. Boateng Gyimah said Global Water Partnership vision is to ensure water security in the Country. He noted that human activities and natural occurrence are the major contributing factors of climate change. He said some human activities like greenhouse gases cause the atmosphere to retain heat; adding that the issue of climate change is the development of individuals.

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ANN: Mr. Boateng advised Journalists to focus their reportage on water issues and climate change and do a lot of research from the available resources.

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ANN: Facilitating the workshop, a lecturer at the School of Communication at the University of Ghana, Professor Kwame Kakari took the Journalists through news reporting and editing. Processor Kakari advocated for more investment in climate change adaptation and mitigation.  A research conducted by Obonu news shows that some greenhouse gas emission from human activities has negative changes in energy from aerosols in the atmosphere.

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