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The International Year of Sanitation in Ghana

The International Year of sanitation will help to boost the slow progress made so far towards the Millennuim Devlopment Goal sanitation target
The International Year of sanitation will help to boost the slow progress made so far towards the Millennuim Devlopment Goal sanitation target.
Credit: WaterAid / Jon Spaull

A National Planning Committee was inaugurated on 10 January 2008 to plan activities for the UN International Year of Sanitation (IYS) in Ghana.

The Committee comprises representatives from a cross section of governmental and non-governmental institutions.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, the Director of Environmental Health and Sanitation, Demedemeh Narh, emphasised the need for speedy implementation of actions in order to achieve adequate results during the year.

The Committee then went on straight into action by discussing and adopting the proposed theme and work plan for the year.

Two main sub-committees were constituted to support the secretariat to organize all the events; these are a Publicity Sub-committee, represented by WaterAid, UNICEF, MLGRDE, and CONIWAS; and a Finance Sub-committee, represented by the Water Advisor, DANIDA/PMMS, Director, Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate (EHSD), Water Directorate/MWRWH, Financial Controller, MLGRDE; and the Director, Performance Management, MLGRDE.

The Committee agreed to launch Ghana's International Year of Sanitation on 12 February 2008 at Chorkor, a community with a lot of sanitation challenges near Accra.

UN International Year of Sanitation
On 4 December 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations passes a resolution declaring 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation (IYS).
The resolution expressed the UN's concern of the slow and insufficient progress made in achieving the global target, and recognised that progress can be made through active commitment and action of all states at both national and local levels as well as United Nations agencies, regional and international organisations, civil society and other relevant stakeholders.
The main thrust of the advocacy and promotional activities during the year will be on:
  • Raising awareness of the importance of sanitation and its impact on achieving other MDGs from three perspectives: hygiene, household sanitation and waste water.
  • Encouraging governments and its partners to promote and implement policies and actions for meeting the sanitation target.
  • Mobilising communities, particularly women's groups, towards changing sanitation and hygiene practices through sanitation-health-education campaigns.

The central objective of the IYS is to put the global community on track to achieve the sanitation MDG. To affirm the assertion that sanitation is the foundation of health, dignity, and development and that increased sanitation access especially for poor people, is fundamental for reaching all the MDG, the IYS specifically aims to:

  • Increase awareness and commitment on the importance of reaching the sanitation MDG.
  • Mobilize governments, existing alliances via rapid collaborative agreements on how and who will undertake needed steps now.
  • Secure real commitments to review, develop and implement effective action on sanitation.
  • Encourage demand-driven, sustainable and traditional solutions for sanitation management.
  • Secure increased financing for the sub-sector.
  • Develop and strengthen institutional and human capacity for the sector.
  • Enhance the sustainability and therefore the effectiveness of available sanitation solutions.
  • Promote and capture learning to enhance the evidence base and knowledge on sanitaion.

Find out more about the International Year of sanitation on the UN's website