ghanaHiro

GHANA

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1 Challenge
24 million Ghanaians do not have access to safely managed and basic service sanitation

50% versus 15% 2019 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene

Rural versus urban population with open defecation or unimproved latrines

The partnership’s work in Ghana aims to boost strides the government has made since 2000 as they reached an estimated 80% of the population with clean water. Despite this gain, only 18 percent of households can access a toilet. Open defecation is common, particularly in rural areas, creating a critical health and environmental hazard that threatens the success of Ghana’s progress.

About 20% of Ghanaian primary and secondary schools lack basic water and sanitation services

31% versus 8% 2016 UNICEF Report

Percentage of school-aged children in secondary schools without sanitation versus those in primary schools

Without safely managed toilets, school children either use substandard single-sex facilities, which are difficult to clean and maintain, or resort to open defecation. Substandard toilets can cause shame and discomfort for students, especially girls, detracting from a positive learning environment. The burden is greater in primary schools—a critical time when healthy hygiene habits such as handwashing are formed—when compared to secondary schools.

More than a quarter of health centers in Ghana have limited or no water services

26% 2016 UNICEF Report

Healthcare facilities in Ghana that have limited or no water services on premise

Healthcare facilities are a place to be treated for disease and receive quality care, not to become sick. Yet more than a quarter of Ghana’s health centers have limited or no water services on premise, putting both patients and health workers at risk. Safe water is crucial for clinics to provide services such as safe childbirth, prevent infections, and reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Government allocations for WASH services remain low in Ghana.

1.28% 2016 UNICEF Report

Percentage of Ghana’s GDP allocated to WASH (US$35.09 million equivalent)

Government budget allocations for WASH services are already low nationally, but local governments struggle even more to obtain their fair share of resources to implement WASH programming.

Rotary USAID Ghana WASH partnership - Bopese
News Jun 27, 2019

Creating a financial plan for sustainability

Read Story
20181108_GH_048
2 Interactive Map

Ghana

This interactive map illustrates the key results of the RI-USAID Partnership in Ghana, after 10 years of programming. Rotarians from 35 clubs across the country, in partnership with the USAID Mission, Global Communities, the government of Ghana, and the support of Rotary District 6380 (Michigan, USA, and Ontario, Canada), are working with local communities to improve sustainable access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education.

98

Communities with gained access to safely managed drinking water services

36

Communities with Community Led Total Sanitation

Communities with Community Led Total Sanitation

123

Schools with gained access to basic sanitation facilities

Schools with gained access to basic sanitation facilities

03

Schools with safely managed water and sanitation, WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2019

Schools with gained access to basic drinking water services

04

Healthcare facilities with gained access to basic sanitation facilities

06

Healthcare facilities with gained access to basic drinking water services

2 Interactive Map

EASTERN REGION

Of the more than 25 million people in Ghana, 2.6 million* live in the Eastern Region. This area has 26 districts and is bordered on the east by Lake Volta. Rotarians and USAID partner to support local communities, schools, and health clinics in getting access to clean water and sanitation, as well as adopting better hygiene habits. They also collaborate with national and local governments to strengthen the governance of WASH services so that they will last well into the future.

14

Communities with gained access to improved drinking water services

20

Schools with gained access to improved sanitation facilities

02

Schools with gained access to improved drinking water services

2 Interactive Map

CENTRAL REGION

Of the more than 25 million people in Ghana, 2.2 million* live in the Central Region, on the country’s coast. This is the second most densely populated and one of the fastest growing areas of the country. While more than three-fourths of the population in this region has access to clean water, only 13 percent of households in some districts have access to improved sanitation facilities.

14

Communities with gained access to improved drinking water services

31

Schools with gained access to improved sanitation facilities

06

Schools with gained access to improved drinking water services

2 Interactive Map

GREATER ACCRA

Of the more than 25 million people in Ghana, at least 4 million live in the Greater Accra Region, the most densely populated and one of the fastest growing in the country. Yet only 62 percent of residents of this region have access to clean water, and only 13-15 percent use improved, unshared sanitation facilities.

19

Communities with gained access to improved drinking water services

21

Schools with gained access to improved sanitation facilities

03

Healthcare facilities with gained access to improved sanitation facilities

2 Interactive Map

NORTHERN REGION

Of the more than 25 million people in Ghana, 2.5 million* live in the Northern Region, the country’s largest in area. This region has 26 districts and is much drier than the southern part of the country. The Rotary-USAID Partnership brings clean water and sanitation to two districts in this region: Karaga, population 77,706, which had access to improved toilet facilities in only 16 percent of households before the project’s start; and Bole, population 61,593, which had access in only 1 percent of households.

21

Communities with gained access to improved drinking water services

19

Schools with gained access to improved sanitation facilities

18

Communities with Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)

2 Interactive Map

Savannah Region

2 Interactive Map

Oti Region

Of the more than 25 million people in Ghana, 2.1 million* live on the eastern edge, in the Volta Region. This area has 25 districts and is bordered on the west by Lake Volta. One district benefitting from the Rotary-USAID Partnership, Nkwanta South, with a population of 117,878, had access to improved toilet facilities in only 1 percent of households before the project’s start.

14

Communities with gained access to improved drinking water services

18

Schools with gained access to improved sanitation facilities

08

Communities with Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)

2 Interactive Map

Western Region

Of the more than 25 million people in Ghana, 2.4 million* live in the coastal area known as the Western Region. This area has 25 districts and is bordered on the west by the Ivory Coast. The Rotary-USAID Partnership brings clean water and sanitation to two districts in this region: Amenfi Central, population 69,014, which had access to improved toilet facilities in only 1 percent of households before the project’s start; and Amenfi East, population 83,478, which had access in only 13 percent of households.

21

Communities with gained access to improved drinking water services

19

Schools with gained access to improved sanitation facilities

18

Communities with Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)

Partnership Districts
2 Interactive Map
Country Map
20181108_GH_079
3 Partnership in Ghana
By the time the partnership launched in Ghana, the nation had already reduced its country’s open defecation rate to 18%.

Initially, the partnership focused on building infrastructure and promoting accountability with local governments and in communities

13

District
assemblies

36

Rotary clubs
engaged

Building off our work and lessons learned during the first program, we integrated our approaches for a more complementary partnership. Our advocates partnered closely with communities and local governments, with a focus on increasing accountability for financial support, maintenance and sustainability of the systems installed.

partnership_in_ghana
A decade of empowering communities and leaders in Ghana

We first set the goal of building and sustainably managing safe water and sanitation for communities, schools, and health centers.

From 2009 to 2012, our work in Ghana focused on infrastructural efforts: creating, training, and building community WASH management systems. efforts helped allocate funding for maintenance and repairs, improve hygiene habits, and promote sustainability of the WASH systems.

01

Expanding our reach

To achieve our goals in Ghana, we expanded our reach with the support of 36 Rotary clubs, the USAID Mission in Ghana, Global Communities (GC; USAID’s implementation partner), and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) of Ghana. Each actor added value to the partnership by bringing needed skills and expertise.

02

Building capacity
of end-users

USAID/GC worked with the district education authorities to build the capacity of teachers, school children, and community members for effective implementation of school health programs and hygiene programs. Rotarians monitored construction, while USAID/GC and CWSA helped local communities conduct their own analysis of open defecation. Once triggered, communities built their own toilets, with the goal of becoming open defecation-free.

03

Advocating on the ground

Once safely managed water systems were in place, communities needed additional support managing water and sanitation services. Applying lessons learned from the first phase of the program, we boosted the advocacy role of Rotarians, who liaised between district assemblies, school authorities, and WASH end-users, promoting sustainability and self-reliance for all stakeholders in 7 of the 13 districts.

04

Stakeholder accountability and engagement

Rotary advocates aimed to facilitate accountability at all levels. They worked with communities to develop scorecards to improve transparency and performance with WASH management committees. Concurrently, they promoted and facilitated dialogue between communities and district governments about gaps in the management and support for safe and affordable WASH services, informed by a scorecard developed by district stakeholders. As a trusted partner of the District Assembly, Rotarian volunteers advocated for the prioritization and proper budget allocation to support the monitoring and management of rural WASH services.

20190627_GH_041
News Jun 27, 2019

Working incrementally at a health facility

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IMPACT
IN NUMBERS

121

Schools with improved water supply, sanitation infrastructure, and hygiene behaviors (2009-2021).

11

Healthcare facilities gaining access to basic drinking water services

245

Communities gaining access to basic drinking water services

21

Communities verified as open defecation free

2%

Average increase in financing released by Municipal District Assemblies to support monitoring of WASH services in 7 target districts

4

Municipal District Assemblies allocating at least 6% of total internally generated funds mobilized to support WASH services out of 7 target districts

20190624_GH_022
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