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Addressing a durbar to commemorate the day, the President of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association GRMA, Mrs. Joyce Jetuah observed that the lack of access to clean water and hygiene services in healthcare facilities constitute essential building blocks for good health, thereby increasing the rate of infection among newborn babies and mothers.
According to her, survey has it 32 percent of health facilities in the country lacks access to regular flow of water, a situation, he noted, calls for urgent action to improve water, sanitation and hygiene in health facilities.
Background
The WHO has established that 38 percent of hospitals and clinics in low and middle income countries worldwide do not have regular access to potable water with majority not having basic private toilets and soap for hand-washing.
In Sub-Saharan African countries, 42 percent of health facilities equally lacks access to water.
Though the figures do not reflect whether the water supply is constant, the WHO estimates that of those healthcare facilities that have some form of clean water supply, around half, do not have reliable water supply.
In Ghana, about 32 percent of such facilities do not have adequate safe water to work with.
The lack of these basic frontline defences in the battle against infection raises valued questions as to whether such establishments could serve as healthcare facilities.
In the Upper East Region, the situation is not different as there is often no constant clean water supply, toilets and hand-washing facilities in most community health post, particularly CHPs compound.
With no readily available sources of clean water to clean the hospital wards or hands, healthcare facilities have now become a breeding ground for infection with health workers transmitting diseases unknowingly from one person to the other.
In commemoration of this year’s Global Hand-washing Day at Bongo, various speakers renewed calls for improvement to water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities.
In a brief statement, the President of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association, Mrs. Joyce Jetuah reiterated that without water, both patients and healthcare workers are at risk of having infection including mothers and newborn babies.
She expressed regret about the rate of neonatal deaths from sepsis and tetanus in deprived health facilities of the country and attributed them to insanitary conditions coupled with lack of potable water supply.
Mrs. Jetuah, however implored all to support the global goals of the SDG in the quest to ensuring healthy lives and wellbeing for all by 2030.
The Programs Manager of Wateraid Ghana, Sulemana Bello, seized the platform to highlight the achievements of the organization since its establishment 30 years ago.
He said despite its fulfilling results in its thematic areas, the advocacy and hygiene promotion activities have built the capacity of communities to engage duty bearers and supported them to fully benefit from having improved access to Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health,WASH.
According to him, adequate water, good sanitation and proper hand-washing are essential to effective healthcare everywhere.
Mr. Sulemana called for more political priority and more funding to be devoted to improving quality healthcare to ensure that no `health facility is forced to work under terrible condition.
He said Wateraid was teaming up with other health professionals to ensure the provision of toilet facilities and good hygiene in deprive health centres to prevent newborn babies and mother from life threatening infections experienced each year.
Some staff of the Ghana Nurses and Midwives Association led by Freda Alowri, of Feo CHPs compound gave a presentation in the Ghanaian context to highlight the need for adequate WASH, services at health facilities.
The event which was chaired by the Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area,Naba Salifu Alemyarum saw the presence of health professionals including the newly posted District Director of Health, Rosemond Azure.
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