PRESS RELEASE

21st March 2020

It is time to invest in preparedness and not panic

This year’s World Water Day is being marked under very tense circumstances, at a time
when the world is struggling to overcome the menace of corona virus (COVID-19). This
situation has compelled people to shift priorities to protecting their lives by practicing
good hygiene to stay healthy and safe from the virus. WaterAid agrees with the World
Health Organization (WHO)’s Director-General, Dr Tedros, that now is the time “for all
countries to invest in preparedness not panic” . Government must as a matter of
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urgency ensure all communities across Ghana have access to safe water to practice
hand hygiene to protect their lives against the scourge of COVID-19.

Frequent handwashing with soap and water is one of the most important and cost-
effective ways of controlling the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. But
in some communities, high numbers of people do not have access to clean water close
to their homes or a place to wash their hands. About 14% of Ghanaians use water from
unsafe sources, 22% defecate in the open and 28% do not have facilities to practice
basic hygiene such as handwashing with soap under running water. (MICS 2017/ 18)
This lack of facilities creates a higher risk of illness and disease transmission, including
the spread of the coronavirus.
Handwashing is one of the simplest and most effective disease prevention methods
available. It’s been shown to reduce cases of acute respiratory infection by 16-23% , 7

50% reduction in pneumonia and up to 48% reduction in risk of endemic diarrhoea .

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Healthcare centres globally need to deliver safe, quality care always. With necessary
water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and practices, healthcare centres will be better
placed to support delivery of safe, quality care everyday - and build resilience for
responding to an outbreak such as we are experiencing across the globe. With the
availability of clean water, health care workers will be able to provide safer care to
patients and protect themselves. Country Director of WaterAid Ghana, Abdul Nashiru
Mohammed said, “Government must back it’s hygiene campaigns with the needed
water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to make it more practical.”

If everyone, everywhere had a place to wash their hands with soap and water as often
as needed, and practiced good handwashing behaviours, it would go a long way
towards helping to contain and prevent the spread of many diseases, including COVID-
19.

END

Further resources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10P3sMuydVs
https://washmatters.wateraid.org/blog/handwashing-with-soap-why-should-we-care

For more information, please contact: The Head of Policy, Advocacy and
Campaign, George Yorke on 0209985760 or the Communications and Campaign
Officer, Yvonne Kafui Nyaku on 0209989518

Notes to Editors:

WaterAid

WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone,
everywhere within a generation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 28
countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981,
WaterAid has reached 27 million people with clean water and 27 million people with decent
toilets. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org, follow @Wateraid UK or
@WaterAidPress on Twitter, or find WaterAid UK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid.

• 785 million people in the world – one in ten – do not have clean water close to
home.[1]
• 2 billion people in the world – almost one in four – do not have a decent toilet of
their own.[2]
• Around 310,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases
caused by poor water and sanitation. That's around 800 children a day, or one child
every two minutes.[3]
• Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased
productivity.[4]
• Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.[5]
• To find out if countries are keeping their promises on water and sanitation, see
the online database www.WASHwatch.org