UNICEF reports that water supply reliability remains a significant challenge in Ghana, with one in three water points not functioning.
This issue impacts daily life, particularly for children travelling long distances to find water.
Additionally, many adolescent girls miss school due to a lack of WASH facilities, which makes menstruation uncomfortable and difficult to manage.
Despite these challenges, Ghana has made steady progress in water supply. Between 2017 and 2021, access to water improved by seven to eight percentage points.
Ramesh Bhusal, Chief of WASH at UNICEF-Ghana, shared these insights during a media briefing with selected journalists in Accra. The session aimed to deepen media understanding of UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives in Ghana.
Mr. Bhusal acknowledged the progress made but highlighted that rural areas continue to face significant challenges.
“Rural areas are significantly lagging, with only 74% coverage compared to 98% in urban areas. A major concern is the reliability of the water supply. For example, current reports indicate that one in three water points is non-functional. If you were to survey 100 water points today, you would find that 30 of them are not working.”
He added that nationwide, there are issues with water quality across both improved and unimproved sources. Many Ghanaians are at risk of consuming contaminated water, particularly since one in six households practices open defecation.
“Three out of four Ghanaians are at risk of drinking water contaminated with fecal matter, according to national surveys.”
Mr. Bhusal also noted a troubling 14 percent increase in the use of sachet water as the primary drinking water source over the past five years. This trend is concerning not only due to the cost but also because of the environmental impact of the improper disposal of sachet waste.
“Currently, 14 percent of households rely on sachet water as their main source of drinking water. If sachet water is unavailable, they may turn to boiled tap water or other alternatives.”
He stressed the importance of rebuilding consumer trust in tap water.
“Improving confidence in tap water is crucial. Enhancing water quality and reliability is the way forward.”
Samuel Amoako-Mensah, WASH Specialist at UNICEF Ghana, highlighted the need to maintain water integrity from production to consumption to ensure its quality.
“The risk isn’t necessarily in drinking sachet water but in the assumption that because it’s labeled ‘pure,’ it remains pure through handling and consumption.”
He emphasized that “your handling practices significantly impact the quality of the water you drink.”
This meeting was part of the “UNICEF Ghana Media Café” series, which aims to deepen journalists’ and editors’ understanding of UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives in Ghana.
