In Ghana we build WASH systems at district and national level. By establishing change hubs and working in partnership with local government and NGOs, we are working towards WASH services for everyone.
Access to basic or safely managed water 78% | basic sanitation 14% | open defecation 19% | basic hygiene 19% (source, JMP)
Our team of 12 is led by director Vida Duti. Our country priority is advocating for greater financial and political support for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), while also supporting national government strengthen policies, standards and guidelines. Our priority in our partner district, Asutifi North, is to support roll out the WASH master plan we developed with them in 2018.
Ghana is a lower middle income country with one of the words fastest growing economies, and commitment from the highest political level to WASH. Ghana nevertheless continues to face real water, sanitation and hygiene challenges, particularly the sustainability of rural water supply and the expansion of sustainable sanitation services outside of the main cities.
IRC Ghana works with government, development partners, private sector organisations, NGOs and research institutions to diagnose underlying causes of failure of water systems, and together generate alternative solutions and ideas. These are tested in pilot districts to establish their effectiveness. Proven results and tools are shared to inform local government planning and decisions on WASH investment, operational management of water facilities and adaptations to national policies, standards and guidelines.
The ANAM, Clean Asutifi North, initiative set a target date of 2030, to transform services so that half of urban households and 20% of rural households have access to safely managed water, with everyone else at least having access to basic water services. The stories from the communities that were collected at the start of the initiative show a pattern of intractable problems that are at the root of the water and sanitation crisis they live.
In March 2018 Asutifi North district adopted a master plan for universal, long-term sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene. It is based on a year-long process of consultation with local and national government leaders, chiefs, market women, water service providers, private sector, local NGOs and circuit water providers. The plan was endorsed by all major governmental, community and development agencies and partners. It sets a 13 year timetable to meet basic service standards that are realistic and achievable.
On 26th March 2019, the Asutifi North District Assembly hosted a grand ministerial launch of the investment phase of the Asutifi North District Ahonedia Mpumtuo (ANAM) initiative - a huge step in the unique partnership with a strategic master plan to achieve a common vision for universal access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services for everyone in the district by 2030.
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) together with IRC Ghana has been collecting good practice stories on meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6. This page contains all the stories as well as the link to the book.
IRC Ghana operates as a not-for profit organisation in support to water, sanitation and hygiene services that last. The programme portfolio is made up of a mix of programmatic funds, contracted projects, and short assignments.
"IRC has supported the reorganisation of Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) operations. It reviewed all the sector's operational documents and their dissemination. IRC has always brought to the fore the fact that the Government should lead the rural sub-sector activities. IRC also brought in a new direction for the delivery of water services and that is the service delivery approach. That is how come now you get to the communities and you hear them talking about CapManEx!"
- Theodora Adomako-Adjei, Extension Services Coordinator, Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Ghana
Learn about the ANAM initiative in Asutifi North
The Ghana National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has collected together with IRC Ghana a series of best practice stories on meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) challenges for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
RCN Ghana is an institutional partnership that promotes knowledge management services within the water, sanitation and hygiene sector in Ghana. IRC Ghana was a founding member of this important platform that is known for its National Level Learning Alliance Platform.
