The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), is strengthening efforts to institutionalise hygiene promotion within local governance structures. Speaking at the 2025 Global Handwashing Day commemoration in Accra, the Minister, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim (MP), outlined practical steps being taken through the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to make handwashing a permanent feature of community life.
He explained that local governments are at the frontline of promoting sanitation and hygiene, adding that the Ministry is integrating hygiene performance into the assessment framework for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs). This, he said, is to ensure accountability, consistency, and leadership in advancing environmental health at the grassroots level.
Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim further highlighted Ghana’s progress under several national frameworks, including the National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan (NESSAP), the Rural Sanitation Model and Strategy (RSMS), and the National Open Defecation Free (ODF) and Safely Managed Sanitation Roadmap. These, he noted, serve as guiding blueprints for sustainable sanitation and hygiene improvement across the country.
To date, over 6,000 handwashing stations have been installed nationwide, with hand hygiene education fully integrated into the School Health Education Programme (SHEP). Local initiatives such as “Clean Hands for Clean Communities” are also being promoted by MMDAs to encourage consistent hygiene practices at home, in schools, and in markets.
“Handwashing is not an isolated activity but a pillar of environmental sanitation and public health,” Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim remarked, reaffirming government’s commitment to deepening inter-ministerial collaboration with the Ministries of Health, Education, and Water Resources, as well as development partners in the WASH sector.
Source: Darling Maame Efua Cann
MLGCRA: Public Relations Unit