Not that we do not have Specialists, not that we do not have good strategic plans, not that we do not have structures and systems, but that we do not allow our institutions to work and successfully follow up and implement our plans. Just check out any of our Ministries, Departments and Agencies, you will find beautifully written strategic plans with very lofty ideals that look like taking us all straight to paradise heaven, but oh Salone they end up being mere harbingers of dust and cockroaches.
Today a look at the WASH facilities in our schools shows a gloomy picturesque scenario almost akin to the naked putrefaction played out in Ayi Kwei Armah’s novel “The Beautyful Ones Are not yet Born.”
An assertion that most of our schools environments are in terrible WASH states is far more than an insensitive shocker understatement. The criticality of water sanitation and hygiene to the wellbeing of our children can hardly be overemphasized. Just as women’s empowerment is critical to child survival, so is the provision of good and adequate WASH facilities in our schools, critical to our children’s good health. A study done in 2013 by the Urban WASH Consortium and BAN on the WASH budget tracking reveals a whole lot of inadequacies. I happen to have been involved in the training of Civil Society Organizations on social accountability and related issues. Our simulation on the monitoring of Education standards in 5 districts leaves much to be desired. Generally, the eroding of standards in all sectors, has led us into the kind of mess we now find ourselves.
We have seen a lot of toilets built in schools and even VIP ones; some with Milla tanks but then no water to make them functional. Schools these days hardly have wash hand basins. Never mind the Ebola scare that threatened our very existence. It is interesting that recently some 80% of our current producers of sealed packet water were barred from producing for not meeting standards. Well maybe to commemorate the World Water Day which falls in March when many West African countries are thirsting so much for water. Poor water supplies impact health by causing acute infectious diarrhea. A poorly functioning water supply system places large disease burdens on the people who use it. Globally it is said that the highest number of deaths are through bad water and malaria. In Sierra Leone we find ourselves in a very precarious situation in which we have and drink bad water and also have malaria.
WASH Studies show that where there is no safe and clean toilet to go to, people are further exposed to disease, lack of privacy and indignity. Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal and under-5 mortality rates in the world (217), while malaria, respiratory and diarrheal diseases account for more than 75% of the country’s under-five mortality; bloody and watery diarrheas are the third major cause of under-5 and infant mortality. Malnutrition is reported to cause 57% of child deaths. All these indicators are closely linked with the poor situation with water, sanitation and hygiene. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services, coupled with poor hygiene practices, are linked to school attendance and performance (particularly among girls), safety and security of women and girls, and the economic and social development of communities and nations.
Very many schools do not have toilets and clean water. This situation needs to be improved as safe water and sanitation are essential to protect children’s health and ability to learn at school. The National Water and Sanitation Policy (NWSP) targeted 74% for improved drinking water supply and 66% for adequate sanitation by last year 2015. Incidentally in 2014 Ebola stepped in and brought many health issues including WASH to the fore. The post Ebola plans incorporate WASH but truly speaking we are yet to see real progress on the ground. You won’t believe it, but there are still schools where the kids defecate in nearby bushes. The 2013 study points out that access to improved water supply has moved from 49% in 2008 to 57% in 2010, but that for sanitation has remained constant at 13% for non-shared facilities and at approximately 40% for improved sanitation including shared and public facilities. Based on that trend, obviously, the national targets were never met by 2015. With Ebola further complicating matters for us, it is anybody’s guess where we stand now on WASH. As I write, the Freetown City Council has divorced MASADA, the garbage collection outfit.
The Government has made a number of commitments to improve water resources management and the delivery of water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to help reduce the poverty burden on over 3 million Sierra Leoneans without access to improved water supply and more than 5 million without access to improved sanitation. Given the current dire situation, this is yet to be actualized. Two years ago, a separate Ministry of Water Resources was created. You can go ahead and cross match the cost of the change and current impact. No doubt a lot of reform steps have been taken. However if that primary school girl continues to use the bush, she will grow up with no pride and dignity.
To some extent Government has taken several steps over the last few years to support the delivery of Sanitation and Hygiene services, in order to improve health outcomes. Several projects in both rural and urban areas are under way to either rehabilitate or build new water and sanitation systems. The Local Government Act (LGA) 2004 has devolved rural and peri-urban water supply functions to local councils in line with the Government’s commitment to decentralization by devolution. We really need to move from the paperwork to real work on the ground.
A big challenge is, developing the WASH budget. Normally a budget ceiling is provided for all Ministries, allowing little scope for the Ministry of Water Resources and MoHS to actually identify what is needed to deliver WASH services in Sierra Leone. Again the budget disbursement takes on a phased approach.
The 2013 survey revealed that 4th quarter budgets of 2012 were only rolled over by the close of the 1st quarter of 2013 and this appears to be a practice now year in, year out. The 1st and 2nd quarter disbursements for all sectors are almost always delayed. In the area of the management of the sanitation Budget, at the national level, the Primary health Director facilitates program implementation at the Ministry level as well as linking its staff at local council level with the local councils who now have the mandate to deliver sanitation services on the ground. However, staffing that should be within local councils that are responsible for implementation of sanitation and hygiene programs are still part of the central Ministry of Health. Government needs to straighten things up fast. Whether rich or poor, we all need clean water. For your information in the 2016 Budget, the Sanitation budget, as usual, is subsumed within the Health budget. The sanitation budget is still not clearly disaggregated within the health budget and normally sits within the Primary Health Care Directorate.
Local Councils expenditures also reflect a very small fraction for rural water services budget. Salwaco receives funding for the running of water supply systems in some cities and towns which take a huge chunk of the Water Services budget. Local councils also support community water supply systems through the rehabilitation and construction of water wells, chlorination of wells and the monitoring and other extension services. They say that a person that rarely travels thinks that what he is exposed to is the best. Accountability is based on four dimensions: transparency, participation, learning and evaluation.
By Beny SAM
Thursday October 06, 2016
ADVERTISEMENT