Accra, March 16, GNA - Stakeholders in the Sanitation and Water Sector, on Tuesday met in Accra on Tuesday, to plan ahead of a high level meeting, scheduled for Washington DC, US, on Friday, April 23. The meeting dubbed: 93Sanitation and Water for All", is an annual ministerial dialogue, at which Ministers of Finance from developing countries and Ministers of Development Cooperation from donor countries, take stock of progress on sanitation and water.

Ghana's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Kwabena Duffu= or is scheduled to attend this year's meeting together with the Ministers of Water Resources, Works and Housing and Local Government and Rural Development. Mr. Othniel Habila, Chief Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Officer at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), briefed participants on Ghana'= s preparation so far. He said that there were linkages between sanitation, water and other sectors and explained that poor performance in those sectors had impacted o= n health, education and poverty.

Mr. Habila explained that this year's meeting, the first to be hoste= d by UNICEF, would deepen understanding among ministers of finance on the economic impact of water and sanitation on development. He expressed hope that understanding of the linkages between water, sanitation and economic growth would be enhanced.

Mr. Lukman Salifu, Consultant for Sanitation and Water for All Project= , noted that sanitation was at the heart of quality life and how nations handled sanitation issues could enhance or negatively affect development. He urged Cabinet to approve the draft sanitation policy before the meeting in Washington on April 23.