"Sustaining water treatment and handwashing practices post-covid remains a challenge" – Ing. Fiifi Boadi, ESQ

Ing. Godfred Fiifi Boadi, ESQ, Head of Climate Action, Sustainability and Partnerships at the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has underscored the need for targeted, district-level interventions to sustain water treatment and handwashing practices across the country.

Speaking at the presentation of a recent sector report, Ing. Boadi said the findings provide critical guidance for directing national interventions, particularly those aimed at vulnerable populations and varying levels of disability.

He noted that several development partners are already supporting initiatives such as the distribution of chlorine filters and the promotion of solar water treatment at the district level.

According to him, the Ministry welcomes the report and will draw on its insights to strengthen policy direction and implementation.

“This report will go a long way in helping us refine our interventions and ensure they are better targeted,” he said.

Touching on hygiene practices, Ing. Boadi observed that post-COVID-19 trends show a noticeable decline in the sustained availability of soap and water at designated handwashing points.

He explained that although handwashing activities increased significantly during the pandemic, those behaviours have not been fully maintained.

He questioned why heightened handwashing practices seen during the COVID-19 period have waned, even though public health risks persist.

He attributed the decline partly to the perception that COVID-19 was more a life-threatening crisis than a long-term health concern, leading to reduced vigilance once the immediate threat appeared to subside.

Ing. Boadi further pointed out that while existing policy-relevant indicators capture access to water and hygiene facilities, they do not adequately measure frequency, consistency and correct usage of water treatment and handwashing practices.

He described this as an analytical gap that needs to be addressed.

To bridge this gap, he said the Ministry is ready to deepen collaboration with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

He outlined key implications from the report, including the need to strengthen institutionally linked monitoring systems, enhance the measurement of point-of-use and behavioural sustainability indicators for handwashing, and ensure district-specific targeting of interventions based on disaggregated data.

He concluded by reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to evidence-based policymaking and collaboration, and expressed appreciation to all stakeholders involved in the research and reporting process.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith and Hawa Abubakar