Healthcare delivery in the Jirapa Municipality of the Upper West Region has received a significant boost following the handover of newly constructed and rehabilitated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities at the Sabuli and Ullo-Dante health centres.

The intervention, carried out under the Increase Gains in Nutrition by Integration, Education, Evaluation and Empowerment (IGNIT3) Project by WaterAid Ghana and its partners, is expected to improve service delivery, strengthen infection prevention and enhance maternal and child health outcomes in the beneficiary communities.

Launched in December 2023 with support from the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health, the IGNIT3 Project seeks to integrate health, nutrition and WASH services to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable populations.

It is being implemented in partnership with the Centre for Global Child Health at SickKids, the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, and other stakeholders.

At Ullo-Dante, the project covered the rehabilitation of the health facility, the construction of a three-seater WC toilet with a septic tank, the refurbishment of an existing two-seater toilet, and the provision of a maternity washroom, at a total cost of GH¢306,159.53.

Similarly, works at Sabuli included the rehabilitation of the health centre, refurbishment of an existing two-seater toilet facility, and the construction of a maternity washroom, costing GH¢204,593.55.

Speaking at the handover ceremony at Sabuli, the Acting Municipal Director of Health Services for Jirapa, Kaaih Edward, described the occasion as historic.

He commended WaterAid for its commitment to delivering projects that directly impact lives.

He noted that beyond infrastructure, the IGNIT3 Project had built the capacity of health workers through training programmes, enabling many to acquire new skills and share knowledge within the health system.

Mr Edward said the provision of the facilities would significantly improve healthcare delivery by ensuring access to safe water and hygienic sanitation.

He appealed to both health workers and community members to maintain the facilities to ensure their sustainability.

The new facilities are expected to promote good hygiene practices, reduce the risk of waterborne diseases and improve maternal, newborn and child health outcomes, while also enhancing the dignity and comfort of patients.

The Director of Catholic Health Services, David Yiri, described the intervention as timely, noting that the Sabuli Health Centre had long needed improved sanitation facilities. He pledged that part of the facility’s internally generated funds would be allocated for maintenance.

For his part, the Project Assistant at WaterAid Ghana, Yussif Yakubu, expressed satisfaction with the successful completion of the facilities. He explained that WaterAid had earlier supported Sabuli with community water services and had returned to address critical sanitation needs at the health facility.

He disclosed that further investments, including the construction of healthcare waste incinerators, were underway to strengthen waste management systems in health facilities across the municipality.

The Chief of Sabuli, Mathew Tiereyaga, welcomed the intervention and described it as transformative. He said the improved facilities would make the health centre more attractive to health professionals and help address challenges that previously discouraged postings to the area.

He recalled that in the past, patients had to resort to nearby bushes due to the lack of proper sanitation facilities, exposing them to risks such as snake bites. With the new infrastructure in place, he said residents now had access to safe and clean sanitation services at all times.

Similar facilities were also handed over to the chiefs and people of Ullo-Dante, marking another milestone in efforts to improve healthcare delivery and public health outcomes in the Jirapa Municipality.