Yaw Attah Arhin, WASH Technical Specialist at World Vision Ghana, has called for the inclusion of children in sanitation initiatives, particularly advocating for the provision of toilet facilities and changing rooms for adolescent girls in schools.
He emphasized that inadequate access to such facilities poses a significant challenge to child health and quality education.
Mr. Arhin made this appeal during the official launch of the 5th Child Sanitation Diplomat’s Campaign for Improved Sanitation in Ghana.
He stressed that the lack of access to safe drinking water and toilet facilities in schools is deeply concerning, particularly for girls who face difficulties in managing menstrual hygiene due to the absence of changing rooms.
“For believers in a better world for children, World Vision and its partners find the lack of access to safe drinking water and toilet facilities in schools not only regrettable but also very worrying, especially when the few available toilet facilities do not have changing rooms for girls.
This does not make the school environment conducive or friendly to the girl child, particularly those who have to deal with menstrual hygiene management on a monthly basis,” he said.
Mr. Arhin further called on the government and development partners to collaborate in ensuring sustainable access to improved sanitation across the country.
During the event, he also congratulated Abdul Yazid Faraj Timtoni Wumbe for emerging as the 5th Child Sanitation Diplomat and encouraged other children to follow his example in championing sanitation advocacy.
In a statement read on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, he acknowledged the region’s poor sanitation record, pledging to make sanitation a top priority in his development agenda.
“The sanitation situation in the Northern Region! I have followed the discussions and have learned that we are among the worst-performing regions in the country.
A region where more than half of the population practices open defecation? This is unacceptable! It means that most households do not have toilets, and many institutions, including schools, lack proper sanitation facilities. I do not know how we got here, but as the Regional Minister, representing His Excellency the President of the Republic in this region, I accept the challenge. I will use my position to advocate strongly for making sanitation a top priority in our development agenda. I promise to move further, build on this forum, and undertake more consultations in this direction,” the statement read.
The newly crowned 5th Child Sanitation Diplomat, Abdul Yazid Faraj Timtoni Wumbe, used the occasion to outline his campaign activities, which will focus on advocacy and policy influence, peer sanitation education, learning and mentorship, and a legacy project aimed at improving sanitation conditions for children.
Source:Fiilafmonline/Walkiyatu Issahaku
