The Coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) in the Upper West Region, said sanitation delivery in the country was at a cross road and needed political will to address the situation.
The coalition said the limited emphasizes placed on community level sanitation, the lack of political will for providing adequate funds, low prestige and recognition associated with sanitation projects, and the ineffective policies, as well as weak institutional framework were some of the factors that had accounted for the deplorable sanitation situation.
The NGOs raised these concerns at a day's policy forum on sanitation in Wa, to discuss the enforcement of sanitation laws and byelaws, food hygiene, solid waste management and access to sanitation facilities in the region.
The coalition observed that there had been inadequate and poorly used resources, inappropriate interventions that did not address the specific problems, the neglect of consumer preferences and ineffective community involvement in sanitation management.
It noted that focus on sanitation had not been high as compared to that of water, pointing out that current latrine construction rate within the community water and sanitation services sector, was estimated at about 4,000 latrines a year compared to a national requirement of almost 100,000 a year.
The importance of sanitation, the NGOs said could be found in several fields of development, making it one of the key factors to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
For instance: "poor hygiene and lack of access to toilets accounted for 1.5 million diarrhea related under five deaths each year globally", the NGOs pointed out.
Quoting a United Nations' Human Development Report, the coalition indicated that only 18 per cent of Ghanaians have access to safe toilet facilities in 2006.
The NGOs said improved sanitation facilities and practices could help reduce acute respiratory infections by 50 per cent, and that sanitation was a vital component to the health of the people.
"Every dollar invested in sanitation returns in average nine dollars of economic benefit, mostly by reducing health costs, allowing greater investment in education, and therefore significantly increasing the Gross Domestic Product".
The NGOs noted that even though the national environmental sanitation policy emphasized environmental sanitation as an essential factor that contributed to the health, productivity and welfare of the people, access was still very low, funding was ridiculously low, and sanitation related diseases with attendant social and economic costs were high.
The coalition said improved sanitation would provide real benefits to the lives and livelihoods of the poor, but expressed regret that current environmental sanitation of the country had not achieved much, as less than 40 per cent of urban residents benefit from a solid waste collection services, and less than 30 per cent had access to acceptable household toilet facilities.
"Environmental sanitation is a public good; hence improper disposal by one individual affects all community members. Ensuring good sanitation is therefore the responsibility of all citizens," the NGOs advised.
The coalition noted that the challenges of sanitation financing, promotion and marketing, affordable technology options and role of the district assemblies in regulation and enforcement were key areas that required research and capacity building.