Women in the Bongo District have petitioned the District Assembly to establish a dedicated and trackable budget for water, sanitation and hygiene services in healthcare facilities.
The women, operating under the Women Time to Deliver Ambassadors initiative, say inadequate WASH services at some health facilities are affecting infection prevention, patient safety and the provision of safe and dignified care, particularly for women and newborns.
The petition was presented to Bongo District Coordinating Director John Jojoe Amanah by the leader of the group, Hannah Talata Asanyuure.
The women said their demands were informed by citizen scorecard assessments, engagements with healthcare facilities and the experiences of women, mothers and caregivers who use health services across the district.
Among the challenges identified were unreliable access to safe water, inadequate or poorly maintained toilets and handwashing facilities, and sanitation facilities that do not adequately meet the needs of pregnant women and persons with disabilities.
The women also raised concerns about healthcare waste management, inadequate funding for the maintenance and repair of WASH facilities, and limited information available to communities about district plans and budgets for addressing the problems.
According to the petition, WASH emerged as a priority across the district’s sub-districts during community consultations towards the preparation of the District Medium-Term Development Plan.
“This demonstrates that improved WASH services are a district-wide priority and should be adequately reflected in district plans and budgets,” the petition stated.
Central to the petition is a demand for the Assembly to establish a dedicated and trackable budget line for WASH within the District Health Service budget, beginning with the current Annual Action Plan and budgeting process.
The women also want specific WASH interventions in healthcare facilities to be costed and included in the District Annual Action Plan and relevant departmental budgets.
They further called on the Assembly to apply a government directive they said requires 20 per cent of applicable district resources to be allocated to WASH.
The group wants the Assembly to disclose how much is allocated under that arrangement and what proportion will specifically support WASH services in healthcare facilities.
According to the petition, funding should not be limited to constructing new facilities. It should also cover recurrent costs, including water supply, repairs and maintenance, cleaning and hygiene materials, accessible sanitation facilities and safe healthcare waste management.
The women also called for regular assessments of WASH services in health facilities and a costed action plan to address identified deficiencies.
They want stronger coordination among the District Assembly, health facilities, communities and development partners in addressing the challenges.
The Women Time to Deliver Ambassadors said the petition follows an earlier engagement with the Bongo District Assembly during the Time to Deliver Global Week of Action.
According to the group, the Assembly subsequently committed to supporting the establishment of a dedicated budget line for WASH within the District Health Service budget.
The women welcomed that commitment but said it now needed to be reflected in the Assembly’s planning and budgeting process.
They have requested a formal response from the Assembly detailing the actions it intends to take, the institutions responsible for implementing them and proposed timelines.
“We believe that fulfilling the commitment to establish a dedicated budget line and increasing investment in WASH in healthcare facilities will protect lives, improve maternal and child health, strengthen patient safety and ensure safe and dignified healthcare for everyone in Bongo District,” the petition stated.
The Women Time to Deliver Ambassadors initiative, under the auspices of WaterAid Ghana, supports women to advocate for improved water, sanitation and hygiene services in healthcare facilities in the Bongo District.
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