The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, TaMA, in partnership with the Catholic Relief Services, CRS, has launched the citywide sanitation plan blueprint for the Greater Tamale in the northern region.
The initiative, first of its kind in the north, seeks to facilitate effective coordination, enhanced collaboration, adequate planning and provide comprehensive city-wide blueprint for the management of urban sanitation to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on safe, equitable, adequate, and sustainable sanitation for everyone by 2030.
In her remarks, Head of Programmes at CRS Ghana, Madam Carolyn Edlebeck said studies have shown public investment in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector in Ghana has not kept pace with service needs, economic growth and urbanization, adding access to basic sanitation services currently stands at 21 per cent.
“If investment in sanitation is not increased, Ghana may not meet the target of providing safe sanitation to all by 2030.”
The CRS provided technical and financial in the plan development process in the past 2-3 years which conforms with the strategic goals, vision and mission of the organization which seeks to catalyze transformational change at scale, build a more just, equitable and prosperous world for all.
Madam Carolyn added the CRS through the Urban WASH and Resilience Project has also been working with the Tamale Metropolitan and Sagnarigu Municipal Assemblies to implement key sanitation interventions in the last three years.
She stated this includes 580 household toilers in Tamale and Sagnarigu serving over 4000 beneficiaries, rehabilitation of seven public toilets, facilitated RICCS certification of three of the toilet facilities as WASH friendly facilities serving transient population.
Other interventions are: ODF league table for Senior High Schools in northern region, revamping and training of 30 Water and Sanitation Management Teams and the establishment of Tamale Water Fund.
The Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, Hon Sule Salifu, for his part said the city-wide sanitation would serve as a reference document that map out the sanitation needs within the metropolis.
He noted with carefully thought through interventions the assembly will address the sanitation challenges to improve the sanitation outlook to redeem its glorious days as the cleanest city in sub Saharan Africa in line with SDG 6 and 11.
The Mayor therefore promised under his leadership, the metro assembly will work with development partners, private sector operators and corporate bodies to provide adequate and sustainable financing for Water, Hygiene and Sanitation services.
“Operationalizing the plan would take the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly a step closer to achieving SDGs 6 and 11 in order to see the much-needed development in sanitation” he emphasized.
He also commended CRS Ghana for supporting the assembly both technical and financially to undertake the assessment exercise in the metropolis.
