World Vision Ghana helps improve sanitation in Upper East Region
Many social activities initiated by the World Vision Ghana (WVG), a Non Governmental Organization, have greatly helped in improving the sanitation situation in the Upper East Region.
With the construction of many KVIP latrines in the Upper East Region, open defecation in the Upper East Region has been reduced.
Last year the Region was ranked as the first among the ten regions by UNICEF in terms of open defecation.
Mr Richmond Apotiga, the Bawku West Area Development Programme (ADP) Manager of WVG, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency at Zebilla, said under the WVG Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Component, over 351 KVIP latrines for households in the Bawku West District have been constructed.
He said WVG had also constructed two institutional latrines for a school and one health centre whiles two similar projects are also under construction.
“Eighty six boreholes had also been drilled and fitted with pumps and laundry pads constructed for communities and institutions across the District as well as the mechanization of one borehole for two communities project is still ongoing”
The ADP Manager said WVG had provided 171 hand washing containers and 138 dustbins to schools to promote hand washing practice amongst school children in the District.
Mr Apotiga said under WVG- WASH component 92 WASH Committees comprising over 1012 members had been formed and trained to manage WASH issues in the communities and institutions provided with boreholes.
Bawku West Area Development Programme of World Vision has also commissioned a solar mechanized borehole worth over GHȼ15,000 to serve a population of over 800 people.
“Three hundred and fifty-two pump maintenance volunteers have been trained and provided with pump maintenance tool kits. We have also conducted numerous households and community sensitization and education sessions on WASH and formed and trained 33 School health clubs in 14 communities also on WASH issues”, he said.
He said similar projects have been carried out by WVG in the Garu-Tempane, Kessena-Nankana, Talensi-Nabdam and the Bongo Districts.
This laudable effort, he noted, had helped curb the open defecation and other health problems associated WASH in the Region.
Source: GNA