Equity in WASH: The Key to Ghana’s Sustainable Growth
Professor Simon Mariwah, PhD, of the Department of Geography and Regional Planning at the University of Cape Coast, has presented a stark assessment of Ghana’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector calling for transformative reform to address deep-seated inequities in WASH access.
“Access to WASH services is not only a basic human right but also essential to public health and economic growth,” he stated, underscoring that disparities in WASH access—especially in developing regions—widen inequalities based on socioeconomic status, location, and gender.
Professor Mariwah disclosed this in a presentation during the 35th annual Mole WASH Conference, held at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho.
His presentation highlighted several health impacts tied to WASH access: improved sanitation can reduce diarrheal cases by 25%, while quality drinking water and proper hand hygiene reduce it by up to 75% and 30%, respectively.
He also outlined how inadequate WASH services affect health, economic stability, and dignity, urging the country to prioritize coordinated, equitable solutions.
The toll of inadequate WASH extends beyond health impacts. In 2019, WHO data revealed that nearly 7,635 lives in Ghana were lost to preventable WASH-related issues.
The numbers underscore the high cost of inaction, not only in human lives but also in economic terms, as families and the healthcare system bear the brunt of preventable illnesses like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and malnutrition-related stunting and wasting.
Identifying poor institutional alignment as a primary factor hampering WASH sector efficiency, Dr. Mariwah attributed much of the dysfunction to fragmented oversight and competition among agencies.
He recommended reviewing and strengthening the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, suggesting a single, unified Ministry for WASH, Environment, and related sectors to avoid unnecessary overlap and competition for resources.
“A coordinated approach is essential for continued progress, public advocacy, and building local capacity,” he argued, calling for a streamlined structure to enable stronger policy planning, implementation, and resource allocation.
He also advocated for restructuring the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), emphasizing that while CWSA is tasked with rural water and sanitation, it overwhelmingly focuses on water.
He noted that sanitation remains the “neglected twin” and urged greater attention to the link between poor sanitation and water pollution, recalling Ghana’s focus in the 1960s and 70s on water infrastructure as a public health measure.
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Professor Mariwah also urged Ghana to strengthen its institutional capacity through improved staffing, resource mobilization, and local participation to build a resilient, equitable WASH infrastructure for the future.
The Mole WASH Conference, organized by CONIWAS, serves as a platform for reviewing sector performance, influencing policy, and promoting sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services across Ghana.
Supported by stakeholders such as WaterAid Ghana, World Vision Ghana, UNICEF, and the World Bank, and with the Ghana Water Journalists Network (GWJN) as a media partner, the conference continues to shape the nation’s approach to WASH issues.
Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo
