By Gifty Amofa, GNA
Accra, Jan. 18, GNA - Solomon TesfaMariam, Country Director of Plan International Ghana has revealed that 32,333 people from three districts would have access to safe, affordable and sustainable drinking water.
The beneficiary districts are; Akwapim North in the Eastern Region, Afadzato South in the Volta Region and Agona East in the Central Region.
He said this in Accra at the National Launch of the Rural Water and Sanitation Hygiene (RWASH) being sponsored by Plan International and its partners.
He defined access to sanitation and water as a child free of disease, women free from fetching water from long distances, girls to attend school without fear, a Cholera free community as well as a world to equality and dignity to all.
Mr TesfaMariam said the aim was to help reduce morbidity and mortality among children especially girls, through equitable access to safe, affordable and sustainable water and improve sanitation and hygiene.
“It can also improve the safety of women and girls, who are often targeted when they are alone outdoors. And providing safe, private toilets may also help girls stay in school thereby making them financially independent, he said.
The project, which is a scale up of the previous “Integrated Water Sanitation and Hygiene (IWASH) project and would pay special attention to the needs of girls and women, thereby influencing gender-friendly WASH policy development and implementation at both district and national level, he explained.
He said access to water, sanitation and hygiene, which were inadequate in the communities would reduce diarrhoea which was the second cause of death among children under age five in the developing countries.
The Country Director added that they would be healthier and contribute to productivity in the Country.
He stressed that it was not only a matter of investing in infrastructure and urged the citizenry to have an attitudinal change by putting desisting from practising open defecation and doing more to promote better hygiene.
Mr Joseph Appiah, Business Development Manager of Plan-Ghana, giving the overview of the Project said, the 2,247,500 Euros sponsored Project, which started in August 1, 2018, would last for 39 months.
He the all-inclusive implementation Project would indirectly benefit 74,364 community members from 36 communities and would be provided hand pumping machines, mechanised systems and pipe extensions.
Mr Appiah gave some key activities as supporting CONIWAS in research and advocacy, support journalists in Water and Sanitation (WatSan), organise hygiene promotion campaigns and support environmental health sanitation.
GNA
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