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A new environmental sanitation policy is in the offing to provide clear strategies and action plans to guide metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to deal with the menace of waste, poor water supply and sanitation. The National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan (NESSAP), which is awaiting cabinet approval, will provide the details of funding required and framework of financing projects in the sanitation sector towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) The MDGs are targets set by the United Nations to guide countries to alleviate poverty and achieve sustainable environment by 2015. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, announced this when he opened the West Africa Regional Sanitation and Hygiene Symposium in Accra. The conference which has brought together more than 60 experts in the sanitation and hygiene sector from the sub-region and the Diaspora, has an objective of identifying and supporting the process of developing a community practice on sanitation and hygienic for the poor and vulnerable in West Africa. It is also to initiate joint action, learning and share experiences on good practices in the promotion of good behaviour on hygiene and to ensure a sustained access to sanitation by all manner of persons. The Deputy Minister said although more resources had been channeled into waste management, little had been achieved: hence, the need to adopt a new approach to address the situation. �Environmental sanitation, especially waste management, is a major challenge for the assemblies; it is not only capital intensive but behaviours have contributed to the poor sanitation situation,� he stressed. Mr Afriyie-Ankrah said that although government and development partners were committed to finding solution to the waste and hygiene menace, poor attitudes had contributed to the constant littering of communicates and choking of gutters.