World Vision commends Mahama

Dr. Tinah Mukunda, National Director, World Vision Ghana, has commended President John Dramani Mahama and the government for making environmental sanitation a national development priority and tagging it as a Key Performance Indicator for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

“Such an initiative has the potential to trigger a national consciousness and reawaken the nation’s sanitation conscience,” Dr. Mukunda stated during the 5th Executive Breakfast Conversation on the theme "Sanitation as a Key Performance Indicator for MMDCEs and the Role of Relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies—Prospects, Opportunities, and Constraints."

It aimed at securing the highest socio-political prioritization and multi-stakeholder commitment towards the realization of sanitation as a catalyst for health, job creation, and economic well-being.

Organized by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, in collaboration with sector agencies, World Vision Ghana, and the Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe) and Ghana WASH Journalists Network serving as the main media partners.

Dr. Mukunda noted that it was refreshing that recommendations of previous conversations have found favour with the government in taking steps to implement two major policy initiatives—sanitation as KPIs for MMDCEs and the 10 percent allocation of District Assemblies’ Common Fund towards improved environmental sanitation.

“As we interrogate the prospects, opportunities, and constraints of this bold declaration, we should be interested in only one outcome—greater prioritization and increased investment for improved environmental sanitation,” the World Vision Ghana, National Director stated.

Mrs. Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (MP), Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, in a remark on behalf of the sector minister, expressed concern that for far too long, sanitation has been viewed as an environmental issue and, in some instances, as a periodic clean-up exercise or a responsibility left solely to Environmental Health Officers and waste management companies.

She noted that the reality, however, is quite different: "Sanitation is a governance issue, it is a public health issue, an economic issue, a social responsibility issue, and above all, it is a development issue.

“The cleanliness of our communities influences the health of our citizens, the attractiveness of our towns and cities, the productivity of our workforce, the safety of our environment, and ultimately the dignity of our people.

“No country can genuinely aspire to sustainable development while struggling with unmanaged waste, indiscriminate dumping, open defecation, choked drains, and poor environmental conditions."

Mrs. Odoley Sowah disclosed that across the country, “we continue to experience the consequences of inadequate sanitation practices.” Adding that, “every rainy season, we witness flooding exacerbated by plastic waste and clogged drains.”

The Deputy Minister noted that many communities continue to struggle with inadequate household toilet facilities.

“Some citizens still regard proper waste disposal as somebody else's responsibility. Meanwhile, assemblies are often expected to solve increasingly complex sanitation challenges with limited financial and logistical resources.

“These realities demand a different approach. They require leadership, accountability, innovation, and above all collective action from all,” Mrs. Odoley Sowah emphasized.

The Executive Breakfast Conversation has evolved into a key platform for reviewing progress, addressing bottlenecks, and securing political prioritization for basic sanitation and waste management.

Ghana’s drive toward sustainable development is reaching a decisive moment, and sanitation has emerged as the central metric that can determine whether MMDCEs deliver real transformation.