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BEWARE! THE SACHET WATER YOU DRINK MAY CONTAIN SHIT; GSS SURVEY REPORT REVEALS

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Health

2 years ago



Some sachet water products marketed in Ghana are found to be tainted with faeces, according to a 2017 survey. This raises concerns about the product's regulation in Ghana. A surprising finding from the 2021 Populations and Housing Census (PHC) is that Ghanaians are increasingly relying on sachet water as their primary source of drinking water.


The average national consumption of sachet water in Ghana has increased dramatically, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), from over seven million (31.7%) in 2010 to over eleven million (37.3%) in 2021.

According to the GSS, sachet water was a source of drinking water for up to 71% of Greater Accra's population. While the other regions get closer to the Greater Accra, Western, Central, Eastern, and Ashanti regions, which have surpassed the national average of sachet water usage, which is 37.4%,

During a presentation on the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) Data on Basic Sanitation in Ghana, Dr. Peter Takyi Preprah, Director for Field Operations of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), revealed these shocking discoveries. This event, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Sanitation and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GKMA-SWP) and is being held in partnership with the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and the Resources Centre Network (RCN), aims to enhance understanding of the most recent data on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Ghana as of 2021 PHC to support sector learning.


According to a 2017 survey, a sizable portion of even sachet water is contaminated with faeces because of E coli. It's frightening, therefore let's read the books to see how we can best connect them all and resolve them.


Dr. Takyi Preprah said during his presentation that although though the North-East Region was the least represented on regional pairings, things might change 10 years from now . "Are we just taking it all in or are we working with the Food and Drugs Authority to monitor those producing this sort of water for us to drink to make sure they adhere to the proper rules and procedures so that we can start doing water quality testing? To make sure the water is clean of E. coli, perhaps every three or six months.


Given that the majority of us now purchase sachet water, what can we do to prevent illness? After all, sometimes when it is produced and allowed to sit in the sun for a while, you can take it up, shake it, and see some particles in it. "If you look at urban and rural disparity, those in the urban areas are enjoying sachet water the most, so if there is any outbreak, it will affect urban dwellers than those in the rural areas," the Director of Field Operations at the GSS said at the event. He added that this trend was reminding Ghanaians to pay attention to these types of water.

Speaking on fundamental water data, Dr. Preprah revealed that Greater Accra had a high rate of 97 percent and the Ashanti Region had a low rate of 94.5 percent. The Savanah and the North-east were the highest regions that relied on unimproved sources of water, which he referred to as "Reds."

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