Monrovia Liberia The issues surrounding the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities at health centers and some communities across Liberia is a major challenge faced by health centers and several communities in the country.
The lack of these facilities over the years continues to be a serious huddle health centers are experiencing in Liberia with specific reference to health centers in rural Montserrado County.
As a means of buttressing the efforts of the Government of Liberia and international partners in the health sector, the British Charity, Water Aid Liberia through its local partners are constructing water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in health centers and at community level.
One of the charity partners, Evangelistic Children Rehabilitation Program, (ECREP) has commenced constructing WASH Facilities at Health centers and in several communities specifically in rural Montserrado.
The project is been implemented in White Plains, Harrisburg and Crozerville in Rural Montserrado County.
In an interview with WASH Reporters and Editors Network of Liberia , the Chief Executive Officer of the Evangelistic Children Rehabilitation Program, Abraham Powell, said his organization with support from WaterAid – Liberia has constructed Water Towers, equip delivery rooms, placenta pit, Solar System, hand wash facilities and toilets at the White Plains and Crozerville health centers.
According to Mr. Powell, before the intervention of Water Aid, patients and medical staff were facing serious problems due to the lack of WASH facilities at these two health centers.
“Construction of these facilities has brought about relief to patients seeking medical attention at these facilities and it has contributed immensely to the health delivery system at the two health facilities”.
ECREP Chief Executive asserted that besides the provision of facilities at the health centers, ECREP has rehabilitated and constructed hand pumps in White Plains, Crozerville and Harrisburg.
Powell indicated that before the new hand pumps were constructed and old pumps were rehabilitated, inhabitants were fetching drinking water from creeks in their respective communities in the three townships.
“Through the support of Water Aid- Liberia, ECREP has also conducted training for health workers and residents of White Plains, Harrisburg and Crozerville ” he added.
Inhabitants of these three townships also benefited from personal hygiene training, specifically focusing on keeping their surroundings clean with the aimed of preventing the spread of illnesses, Powell disclosed.
As part of the health training offered by ECREP, over 20 Community Health Volunteers were trained to ensure that the CHV creates awareness messages on the spread of the Coronavirus, and how to prevent communities against getting infected of the virus.
The project targets over 12,000 inhabitants from the three townships, White Plains, Harrisburg and Crozerville in Montserrado County.
WASH in Health is part of Water Aid’s Healthy Start, a four-year advocacy priority that focuses on improving the health and nutrition of newborn babies and children.
Key of the project is also the advocacy for access to water, sanitation and hygiene to be integrated into health policies and delivery locally and nationally.