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NGO calls for local action on SDGs for timely results

By
Philip Tengzu, GNA

Wa, (UW/R), Nov 27,
GNA – Integrated Action for Community Development (INTAGRAD), a
Non-Governmental organisation, is urging district assemblies to extend campaign
on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the local level to help achieve
timely results.

The organisation
said local and regional authorities ought to “promote integrated,
inclusive and sustainable territorial development,” especially SDG six,
which focused on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and
sanitation.

Mr Nurudeen Ibrahim,
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Advocacy and Policy Officer for INTAGRAD,
made the call in Wa at a sensitisation forum on the SDGs.

The forum was
organised with funding from the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV)
under Voice for Change Partnership (V4CP) programme to help district level
stakeholders understand the SDGs, with focus on Goal six.

It is expected that
sensitising lower level interest parties on SDG six would enable them assess
the status of WASH in their respective districts.

Mr Ibrahim indicated
that different strategies were required in the urban and peri-urban communities
to ensure households owned and used latrines.

He said the
community-led total sanitation and rural sanitation modules would not be
effective in the communities without households’ toilet facilities, and called
for involvement of national and local authorities.

“The
involvement of the private sector, which is a key stakeholder in ensuring we
have improved access to water and sanitation has not been there, so national
and local governments need to create an enabling environment for the private
sector to be able to operate effectively in achieving these targets,” he
said.

He said Ghana was
yet to attain basic status of sanitation due to weak policy implementation and
inadequate investment in WASH.

“Even though we
have a national sanitation strategy for the implementation of water and
sanitation, we haven’t followed that strictly and funding for sanitation too
has been weak”.

Mr Baba Paul Mornah,
the Wa Municipal Environmental Health Officer (MEHO), said UNICEF was working
to develop the Urban Sanitation Module for the urban and peri-urban areas to
help fight Open Defecation.

He added that his
outfit would soon gazette sanitation by-laws and revitalise a sanitation task
force to arrest and prosecute sanitation offenders.

On other health
issues, Mr Mornah said officials would screen food vendors in the municipality,
at least after every six months, to ascertain health status of food sellers.

Similar event was
organised at Nandom in the Nandom District with Traditional rulers, WASH
service providers and Assembly Members among others.

GNA

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