According to the latest estimates of UNICEF’s Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation, 32% of the world’s population or 2.4 billion people are lacking toilet facilities, and 663 million people still use unimproved drinking water sources in 2015.

Challenges

Northern Ghana poses many challenges to the people who live there and depend on subsistence farming as their sole source of income.  Most of the challenges in these communities stem from the lack of accessibility and degradation of the environment.  That is, from a physical perspective, the lack of access to clean water, sanitation, adequate nutrition, health services, education, ecological sustainability, and grid electricity are significant factors that challenge rural farming communities resulting in lost opportunity and feelings of hopelessness.   

Water and Sanitation

The drinking water supply and sanitation sector in Ghana face many challenges, including very limited access to sanitation, intermittent supply, high water losses and low water pressure. The water supply and sanitation infrastructure are insufficient, especially in rural areas and concerning sanitation. The latest report by the United Nation indicates that approximately 80% of Ghana has access to clean water. However, most of those who have access are in urban communities.

…healthy communities

Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services, coupled with poor hygiene practices, kills and sickens thousands of children every day, and leads to impoverishment and diminished opportunities for thousands more. Poor sanitation, water, and hygiene have many other serious effects.

According to WHO/UNICEF, poor sanitation and water cause 28% of child deaths, while safe sanitation and water are proven and cost-effective interventions. On top of that, safe sanitation and water could prevent nine out of ten cases of diarrhea, and simply using a safe toilet can reduce the incidence of diarrhea by nearly 40%. Safe sanitation also significantly reduces other leading causes of child deaths, such as malnutrition and pneumonia. Thus, addressing access to sanitation is key to reducing child mortality by two-thirds.

…a quality education

Children, and particularly girls, are denied their right to education because their schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities. Women are forced to spend large parts of their day fetching water. Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness; health systems are overwhelmed and national economies suffer.

…a thriving economy

Water as a resource for small businesses cuts down on time spent walking to water sources which creates more jobs like well drillers and mechanics and increases community outreach which creates a better way of life for everyone.