The Asutifi North District in the Ahafo Region has recently achieved open-defecation-free status and has reached a remarkable 90 percent district-wide water coverage. This achievement is a significant milestone in promoting safe Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices in the region.
In 2018, the water coverage in the district was only at 40 percent. However, with the support of IRC and other development partners, the Asutifi North District Assembly has been able to extend WASH services to almost every basic school, health facility, and community within the district by December 2024.
Under the Asutifi North Ahonidie Mpontuo (ANAM) WASH initiative, the area has successfully eliminated open defecation and now aims to achieve 100 percent water coverage by 2030.
These achievements were shared during a project inception meeting on “Technical Assistance to Government on Strengthening Safe Water Policies and Regulations in Ghana” held in Kenyasi, Ahafo Region. The project, funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, will be implemented from January 2025 to December 2027, with key partners including the districts and municipalities, the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council, and the National Development Planning Commission.
Jerry Atengdem, a water expert with IRC, highlighted that the project will address key challenges such as insufficient integration of operations and maintenance in WASH master plans, inadequate utilization of information systems for monitoring and reporting, and limited alignment between WASH master plans and Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDPs).
The project aims to support the six districts in the Ahafo Region in implementing WASH plans, coordinate their implementation through the RCC, and roll out WASH planning guidelines across other districts in Ghana with the help of the NDPC.
Samuel Badu Baiden, District Coordinating Director of Asutifi North, emphasized the importance of citizen engagement with service providers and district authorities to demand accountability and quality services. The project will support Independent Water User Groups in each district to engage with service providers and district authorities, develop frameworks for engagement, and generate data-driven messages on key WASH issues for advocacy purposes.
The meeting also discussed strategies for effective support for districts to apply new planning guidelines, citizen engagement with service providers and authorities, and action plans for operations and maintenance to ensure sustainable WASH infrastructure management.
Overall, the achievements of the Asutifi North District in becoming open-defecation-free and increasing water coverage demonstrate the positive impact of collaborative efforts in promoting WASH practices and improving access to safe water in the region.
