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World Vision Ghana (WV) has called on government to accelerate efforts to ensure that all Ghanaians have access to potable water.

A statement issued Mr Washington Nuworkpor, the Communications Manager of the WV Ghana and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said many women and children still travel long distances in search of non-existent clean water.

It said many schools and healthcare facilities lack sustainable access to clean water and dignified sanitation and the situation tends to have negative implications for maternal and child health, learning, nutritional outcomes, productivity and the general well-being of children and their families.

The statement appealed to government to prioritise and increase investments towards universal access to safe water.

“It is quite problematic that while access to basic drinking water in Greater Accra is 98 per cent, it is only 50 per cent in Northern Region; and the Upper East, Upper West, Western and Eastern regions are below the national average in terms of access to safe water,” it said.

Making reference to various studies, it said, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted between 2017 and 2018 revealed that close to eight in every ten households had faecal contamination in drinking water, while close to half of all water sources were affected.

It said there is the need for state and agencies to fully implement the National Drinking Water Quality Framework (NDWQF) to ensure health and safety of people.

“We are concerned that the current levels of investment in safe water does not match the ever-increasing demand, and if current trends continue, we may not address the shortfall anytime soon, the statement said.

“It is worrying that at a time Ghanaians needed water the most to practice appropriate handwashing as a means to combat the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, there are widespread water shortages across the country resulting in acute rationing”.

The statement on the occasion of World Water Day 2020, called on the state to institute measures to ameliorate the adverse effects of climate change and the wanton pollution of water bodies on sustainable access to safe drinking water.

The statement urged the public to make judicious use of water, ensure strict self-discipline, adhere to prescribed social distancing and practice enhanced hygiene as a preventive measure to contain the disease.