The Bongo District Assembly in the Upper East Region has praised Water Aid Ghana, a Non Governmental Organization, for its significant contribution in improving access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in the district.

Authorities at the Assembly revealed that many communities and institutions had access to WASH facilities and services and commended development partners especially Water Aid Ghana for complementing government's efforts to implement WASH projects in hard-to-reach communities and facilities.

This came to light at Bongo during a meeting between representatives from Water Aid Ghana and its partner Helmsley Charitable Trust, Non Governmental Organization and the Bongo District Assembly on a monitoring visit to communities and facilities in which Water Aid Ghana sponsored have implemented.

The visit forms part of strategies to attract Helmsley Charitable Trust to consider sponsoring the implementation of some projects in the district.

Mr Stephen Bordotiah, the Bongo District Director of the Ghana Health Services spoke on behalf of Mr Peter Ayamga Ayinbisa, the Acting District Chief Executive for the area, said out of the 167 communities in the district, 60 communities have attained the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status while others are at various stages of achieving the target.

He said Water Aid Ghana alone contributed to 11 communities being declared ODF.

"Additionally, water coverage in the district currently stands at 85 percent with safely managed drinking water services being 25 percent, basic drinking water services, 40 percent and limited drinking water services being 20 percent," he revealed.

The District Director noted that Water Aid Ghana through its WASH for Public Health (WASH4PH) and infrastructure service delivery interventions, WASH services extended several underserved communities and health facilities in the district.

He said 24 communities, schools and health institutions had received various infrastructural interventions including the construction of nine water closet toilet and washroom facilities with attached biodigester, six incinerators, 11 mechanized water systems, three rain water harvesters, four limited water systems, two boreholes with hand pumps and four no. four-seater KVIPs.

"With assistance from Water Aid Ghana, we trained and equipped 14no. borehole mechanics in our district for the servicing of boreholes and we have also trained 70 latrine artisans under the WASH4PH project," he added.

Mr Bordotiah said although the intervention coupled with other interventions from other development partners, access to WASH services in the district had greatly improved, he appealed to Water Aid Ghana and other partners to support the district to solving the high fluoride content in the water in the district which continue to be a major problem.

Mrs Kate Kumi, the Acting Country Director of Water Aid Ghana noted that the mission of the NGO was to provide easy access to work effectively with partners and local authorities WASH service to rural communities to help contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals especially goal six which puts emphasis on water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Ms Trista Kontz, Programme Director, Helmsley Charitable Trust, commended the collaboration between the Assembly, Water Aid Ghana and traditional authorities to addressing the WASH needs of the people in the district.