The Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has charged the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) to proffer permanent wash strategies to deal with the challenges in the sector.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the country’s low prioritization and limited investments towards addressing the numerous challenges confronting the water, sanitation and hygiene sector. This situation has resulted in inadequate and inequitable access to WASH services, especially in the area of basic sanitation and hygiene.
The pandemic has also awakened our consciousness about other possible ways of delivering sustainable WASH services in order to position the country against any future emergencies.
Speaking at the opening of the MOLE XXXI conference which aimed at commencing a national dialogue to change the narrative regarding the approach to the delivery of sustainable WASH services in Ghana. Madam Cecilia Dapaah stressed the need for the Coalition to partner government and the private sector to table sustainable WASH practices that can help mitigate the impact of diseases like Covid-19 in the future.
“ now we want you to partner, even in the private sector, the rich deposits of knowledge that you have can be impacted on the private sector like ESPA, etc. because we need you to also help in the implementation, real practical implementation of some of your recommendations”
Delivering the keynote address, Senior Fellow with policy Think Tank, Imani Africa, Casely Ato Coleman said WASH is the only foundation for fighting poverty and urged members of the coalition to scale up knowledge management and ensure critical data to drive decision making.
“WASH is the foundation for delivering all the SDG goals and as a country we need to invest in data and knowledge management in the area of wash to facilitate quality policy dialogue and quality programming ”
Other speakers also urged participants to use the COVID-19 pandemic to initiate policy review processes that would stimulate and drive the needed changes in the sector.
The Theme for the years’ conference is prioritizing and refocusing sustainable WASH Services delivery.
Background
The MOLE conference series which was first organized in 1989 by a group of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) has become the main rallying platform for discussing issues on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
This year’s conference, MOLE XXXI is happening against the backdrop of the Coronavirus Pandemic which has gripped the world, distorted families, economies, and business at all levels. Consistent with the coalition’s mission of working in partnership with relevant stakeholders to influence policies, remove barriers and promote access safe water, sanitation and hygiene for the poor and vulnerable.