CONIWAS reiterates commitment to prioritising WASH, sustainable development

Miss Beata Awinpoka Akanyani, Chairperson, Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), has reiterated the collective commitment of member NGOs to prioritise Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related issues in the country.She pledged the organisation's commitment to drive sustainable development, saying 'Ensuring inclusive WASH services was essential for leaving no one behind in our pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).'She was speaking at the 2024 Ghana WASH Week National Stakeholder Dialogue in Accra.The event was to raise national awareness about the importance of improved WASH, particularly sanitation, and the necessity of living in a clean and healthy environment.It was on the theme: 'WASH Prioritisation and Its Impacts on Social Development'.It was supported by World Bank, GAMA SWP project, UNICEF, IRC, WaterAid Ghana, Global Communities, Plan International Ghana, SNV, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), APDO and PATH Ghana.Ms Akanyani said the dialogue served as a plat form for knowledge sharing, addressing challenges and forging partnerships that could drive meaningful changes.She said interactions at the event underscored the essence of WASH in driving social development and progress, noting that WASH was acknowledged as a cross-cutting issue, integral to all 17 SDGs, directly influencing 132 out of the 169 targets areas.She said, 'We have recognised the interconnectedness of WASH with agriculture, nutrition, health and climate change emphasising that WASH was critical for safe sanitation, better health, a sustained environment and economic productivity, all of which contributed to improved livelihoods.'She called for proper coordination among Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and the establishment of a National Sanitation Authority as steps towards effective WASH governance.Ms Akanyani further recommended the integration of WASH into livelihood programmes to ensure that its interventions contributed to economic empowerment and community resi lience.Source: Ghana News Agency