UNICEF and partners donate 11 vehicles for water and sanitation activities

UNICEF Ghana with support from the Canadian and the Netherlands governments today donated nine Toyota Hilux and two Toyota Landcruiser vehicles to government and non-governmental partners. The donation, which was at a cost of US$ 320,000, aims to support Government of Ghana's water, sanitation and hygiene programs in six regions including the five most deprived regions namely Volta, Central, Northern, Upper West and Upper East.

The selected regions are those most impacted by the economic and health burden of poor access to improved sanitation and water.

UNICEF Ghana Representative, Ms. Susan Namondo Ngongi, said “we are very pleased to be able to support government with the help of our partners in ensuring that Ghanaian children have access to safe drinking water and better sanitation.”

“We hope this will help facilitate effective monitoring of WASH programs across the 6 regions,” she added.

The vehicles donated today will go a long way in supporting government to reach 20 million Ghanaians who do not have access to improved sanitation and five million of who defecate in the open.

The Government of Ghana and UNICEF with support from partners such as the Government of Canada and Netherlands have introduced the Community Led Total Sanitation approach, which helps empower communities to have their own toilets with hand washing facilities.

Despite the progress made by the Government of Ghana in providing access to improved water sources, about 3,600 children die each year from diarrhea, and suffer from stunting which is linked to poor water and sanitation.

Over the past few years, UNICEF in Ghana and partners have worked to reach the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children with water and sanitation through empowering communities to end open defecation themselves and also by improving sanitation technology, and ensuring that basic toilets are affordable, accessible and child friendly.