Seven million more Ghanaians lack access to sanitation than in 1990 - WaterAid report

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Accra , Feb 20, GNA - The Government of Ghana is failing to keep its promises on funding for sanitation, a new report by the international development charity, WaterAid, has revealed.

In its report 'Keeping promises: Why African leaders need now to deliver on their past water and sanitation commitments,' WaterAid warns that unless investment was increased, the challenges of urbanisation, inequality of access, climate change and population growth risk turning back the clock even further.

From 1990 to 2010, the population of Ghana grew by 9.4 million; however only 2.3 million people secured access to sanitation over the same period.

In total, nearly 21 million out of 24 million people - 86 per cent of the population - are without access to a safe improved toilet.  Almost 50 per cent use shared latrines while 19 per cent practice open defecation.

The "Keeping promises" report uses the Government's own figures to demonstrate that funding on sanitation has fallen short of their public commitments.

Between 2008 and 2011, Ghana has spent on average 0.34 per cent of its GDP or GHc116.45 million - on water and sanitation combined.  This is far short of the 0.5% of GDP that the Government committed to spending on sanitation alone through the 2008 eThekwini African Union declaration.

The WaterAid report called on the Government of Ghana, alongside other African governments, to not only meet their 2008 eThekwini spending commitments of 0.5% of GDP, but to go further by aiming to spend at least 1% of GDP on sanitation and hygiene, in line with the recommendations of a 2011 World Bank report.

The report also highlighted World Bank figures showing that poor sanitation access currently cost Ghana 1.6% of its GDP a year. This is four times the average annual amount being spent to improve access to both water and sanitation.

 Dr. Afia Zakiya, WaterAid Ghana's Country Representative who launched the report said five years on, little progress had been made on separate budget lines for spending on sanitation and water, which was another key commitment made as part of the eThekwini declaration to improve accountability and track progress.

'Ghanaians waste 850 million hours every year looking for somewhere to go to the toilet and you can add to this the costs of illness and medical bills of those contracting diseases due to the unhygienic conditions.  Overall, the loss to Ghana is 420 million Cedis per year.  Now is the time for the Government to meet its financial commitments on sanitation, and end sanitation and water poverty, and its daily toll on human life, health and livelihoods,' she added.

GNA