Written by Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
47.7% of all Health Care Facilities (HCFs) in six districts in the Oti and Upper East Regions did not have the necessary number of upgraded toilet facilities, according to research done by World Vision Ghana (WVG) with assistance from MGHI.
According to a 2015 report by WaterAid Ghana, 52% of HCFs in the districts of Bongo and Kassena Nankana West lack toilets, and according to the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) 2020, only 2% of HCFs in rural Ghana have access to basic sanitation services.
When presenting the findings of the "WASH-NTD Nexus Project" research work to stakeholders, development partners, and the media at a dissemination meeting held at the Best Western Premier Hotel in Accra, the WASH Project Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator, WVG, Mrs. Suglo-Konbo Ibrahim, stated that the research's sole goal was to accomplish the following;
to ascertain the fundamental access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in all medical facilities
to evaluate the water quality coming from the water facilities in all medical facilities
to be aware of the WASH concerns in all healthcare facilities (and in communities)
Additionally, to create a strategy for addressing the WASH deficiencies found in all healthcare facilities
The three districts in the Upper East Regions—Kassena Nankana West, Kassena Nankana East, and Builsa South—that made up the study's six districts were:
The remaining three are in the Oti Region and are Krachi East, Krachi West, and Nkwanta South.
The six districts were chosen, according to Mrs. Ibrahim, based on the frequency of schistosomiasis and their closeness to the WVG project locations.
The Oti and Upper East Regions' six chosen districts have significant schistosomiasis endemic rates. Said she.
Key conclusions about Water
It was found that 22,3% of HCFs in the six districts lack access to upgraded water sources on-site.
In Ghana, 33% of HCFs (and 55% of them are in rural areas) lack an upgraded water facility. JMP 2022
However, 17% of HCFs in Bongo and Kassena Nankana West have piped water within the facility, according to the WaterAid Ghana 2015 report.
The WASH-NTD Nexus Project also showed that there was E. coli present in about 26% of the water points in HCFs sampled.
Assessment of Contamination Risk
"11% of water sites were considered to have a medium risk of pollution. Kassena Nankana East has a 30% medium risk. It read.
Important results about hand hygiene
In the study of HCFs, 71% said that not all places of care had hand hygiene stations.
Again, 93% of HCFs in Ghana have hand hygiene stations at points of care (80% in rural areas). JMP 2020
While hand hygiene stations are present at sites of care in 93% (and 80% in rural) of Ghana's HCFs. JMP 2020
Therefore, WVG and its allies are urging the government to make sure that all new and old HCF being built have auxiliary WASH facilities.
SOURCEGBCGHANAONLINE
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