NDC, NPP and CPP sign CONIWAS WASH manifesto

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) have separately signed the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) WASH Manifesto to pledge their commitment to implement policies.

The document is a CONIWAS Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene—WASH Manifesto that focuses on Ghana's efforts to meet its water and sanitation targets by 2030.

The CONIWAS WASH Manifesto highlights Ghana's challenges in achieving SDG 6, emphasizing disparities in water and sanitation access, urging political parties contesting the 2024 elections to prioritize WASH, increase financing, and address climate-related challenges.

It also advocates for policies to enhance WASH access in healthcare, education, and communities, linking it to economic growth and public health, and lists steps like institutional alignment, monitoring, and promoting WASH as a development cornerstone.

The document aims to engage stakeholders to improve WASH services in Ghana, ensuring universal access and sustainable management by 2030.

Addressing the media in Accra, Ms. Basilia Nanbign, CONIWAS Executive Secretary, commended the three parties—NDC, NPP, and CPP—for signing the WASH Manifesto.

“CONIWAS and WASH NGOs call on political parties and leaders to prioritize WASH,” Ms. Nanbign stated.

The CONIWAS Executive Secretary urged the political parties to embed WASH into planning and budgets, ensure timely fund allocation, and promote maternal health and education through better WASH services.

Ms. Nanbign said CONIWAS in the manifesto is also calling for the strengthening of WASH coordination with health, climate, and agriculture sectors, emphasizing data-driven decision-making.

She noted that WASH is also critical to productivity, disease reduction, and job creation, fostering economic growth.

She stressed that through their signing, the political parties have committed to making WASH a policy priority at all levels, developing and implementing effective WASH policies, securing consistent funding for WASH, promoting monitoring and accountability frameworks, and advocating as WASH ambassadors.

Ms. Nanbign stressed that WASH is not a privilege but a fundamental human right and a cornerstone for Ghana’s sustainable development.

She noted that Ghana’s aim is to achieve universal access to basic water and sanitation services by 2030, aligning with SDG 6, while 87.7 percent of the population has access to basic water services, and sanitation lags at only 25.3 percent with widespread open defecation.

Mrs. Esi Boni-Morkla, Senior Environmental Health Analyst at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, renewed the ministry’s commitment to advancing WASH in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030.

She noted that prioritizing WASH is essential to achieving sustainable development.

Mrs. Boni-Morkla also acknowledged the gaps in WASH access and called for collective action.

“We still have about 25 percent of our population without access to safe sanitation. This highlights the need for collaborative efforts from government, civil society, academia, traditional authorities, and the private sector to bridge the gap,” she noted.