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The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Nii Lante Vanderpuye has revealed that about 45% of Accra’s population engage in open defecation. He was speaking at the handing over ceremony of a 12-seater biofil toilet facility donated by Fidelity Bank to the St. Maurice R/C JHS in La.

According to Mr Vanderpuye, access to improved sanitation is significantly lower in Ghana as compared to access to water. He said the practice of people engaging in open defecation lead up to the incidence of cholera and other diseases.

“It is therefore the priority of the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry to make access to sanitation prime on our agenda. We hope that the commissioning of this facility will be an indication that as a people, we are refocusing our attention on providing access to sanitation and better hygiene”, he concluded.

Co-founder and Deputy Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Jim Baiden, addressing the audience noted that over 86% of Ghanaians do not have access to improved sanitation while over 3,000 Ghanaian children die annually as a result of poor water and sanitation.

“These figures demonstrate the terrible state of sanitation in this country. We ask that those who are resourced rise up and contribute to the improvement of sanitation in communities.” He expressed Fidelity Bank’s commitment to continue supporting needy communities in Ghana.

The gesture of a 12-seater biofil toilet facility forms part of Fidelity Bank’s corporate social responsibility initiative to help improve sanitation in Ghana.

Until now, the St. Maurice R/C JHS used a 45 year old depleted toilet facility which served both the staff and community, and this posed as a health and safety hazard to the school’s populace.

The newly built 45,000 Cedis 12-seater biofil donated by Fidelity Bank will replace the worn-out facility and significantly improve the health and sanitation of the school.

Fidelity Bank is the largest privately owned Ghanaian Bank in Ghana. Over a period of 8 years, the reigning CIMG Bank of the year, has become the sixth largest Bank in Ghana in terms of business size.