World Vision Ghana calls for increased, sustained investment in hygiene infrastructure

World Vision Ghana has called for increased and sustained investment in hygiene infrastructure, saying that awareness creation alone was insufficient to improve hand hygiene practices and protect public health. The organisation said access to water, soap and functional handwashing facilities remained a major challenge in many communities, despite efforts to promote handwashing as a simple and cost-effective way of preventing diseases. The Interim National Director of World Vision Ghana, Joshua Roland Baidoo, said sustainable progress in hygiene required stronger public investment, innovative financing approaches and meaningful private sector participation to provide and maintain handwashing facilities.

He said millions of people, especially across Ghana, continued to lack access to basic handwashing facilities, reliable water services and adequate sanitation infrastructure in their households, schools and healthcare facilities. “For many children, handwashing is not limited by lack of awareness. It is constrained by the absence of water, soap, facilities and enabling systems,” he said. Mr Baidoo was speaking at the Regional Hand Hygiene and WASH Leadership Summit 2026, organised as part of activities to commemorate Global Handwashing Day in Bolgatanga. He said handwashing with soap remained one of the simplest, most cost-effective and impactful public health interventions, capable of preventing diseases, reducing child mortality, improving school attendance, protecting healthcare facilities and contributing to economic productivity. He, however, said the lack of adequate infrastructure and sustainable financing continued to undermine efforts to translate public awareness into consistent handwashing practices. Mr Baidoo called for hygiene to be deliberately integrated…