By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bongo (U/E), Aug 15, GNA – Improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in healthcare facilities is key to achieving quality healthcare delivery and the Universal Health Coverage agenda.
Ms Perpetual Diabene, the Northern Ghana Programmes Manager of WaterAid Ghana, a WASH-focused organisation, underscored the need for stakeholders to prioritise the provision and maintenance of WASH infrastructure in healthcare facilities to help address water and sanitation crisis and improve healthcare delivery.
She made the call at Bongo in the Upper East Region, at a training programme for health workers in the district, on the use of the revised version of the WASH for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT).
WASH FIT is a practical guide and risk-based quality improvement tool developed by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children Emergency Fund for healthcare facilities covering various aspects of WASH services, environmental cleanliness, health waste management, selected energy, and climate change, among others.
The training was part of WaterAid Ghana’s Strengthening Systems for Sustainable WASH Services (3SWASH) project which has funding support from the Hemsley Charitable Trust, a United States non-profit organisation.
The project aimed to strengthen systems to help address sector-wide range challenges to attain sustainable delivery and access to WASH services at all healthcare infrastructure levels to prevent infections and ensure quality of health services.
Ms Diabene who is also the Lead for the 3SWASH Project, noted that the role of WASH in healthcare delivery could not be denied, hence the training was to equip health personnel with practical knowledge to gather accurate data on WASH situation in the facilities.
She said results from the data could be used to advocate for the provision of WASH services and infrastructure while knowledge gained could be significant in maintaining and sustaining existing WASH services and infrastructure for improved health service delivery.
Ms Diabene indicated that the training would strengthen institutional structures and systems for improved data collection, analysis and review of indicators that would influence policy direction especially in WASH infrastructure and services.
“At the end of the training, we want to see enhanced capacities of healthcare workers and improved access to WASH services for quality health delivery.
“We also want to see the WASH FIT assessment and monitoring being internalised in facilities and district and even regional levels respectively for effective planning, operation and maintenance as well as adherence to standards for sustainable quality healthcare.
She said the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal three which puts emphasis on quality healthcare for all by 2030 could not be achieved if proper attention was not paid to the WASH sector and appealed to stakeholders including government and development partners to invest in the sector.
Mr Cabral Bantiu, the Bongo District Nutrition Officer, Ghana Health Service, noted that Ghana had an international commitment to developing a national roadmap, monitor progress and invest in WASH in healthcare facilities.
However, he said, despite the WASH in healthcare facilities being a key component of the country’s health strategies and standards, many facilities did not have WASH infrastructure and services and the situation was worse in the rural areas.
He said maternal and child health could significantly be improved if WASH services were functional at healthcare facilities to ensure infection prevention and control and called for more investment in the WASH sector.
GNA