Out of 118 communities in the Builsa South District of the Upper East Region, 26 have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODP) while seven others have been triggered for declaration.

In 2017, the Builsa South District was placed 6th out of the 15 districts in the region on the Regional League Table.

Mr Daniel Kwame Gariba, the District Chief Executive (DCE), who made the disclosure at the first General Assembly Meeting for 2019 at Fumbisi, stressed that good health and hygiene was key to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals and the Assembly was working to improve on sanitation in the district.

The General Meeting, which was meant to review projects undertaken by the District Assembly over the period was presided by Mr Richard Ajuik Awondadek, Presiding Member of the Assembly and brought together Dr Clement Apaak, the Member of Parliament for the area,Assembly members of the various electoral areas and heads of departments.

The DCE informed the Assembly that through the support of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), the Assembly had supplied 175 newly improved toilet facilities known as Digni Loo to nine communities including; Uwasi-Pion, Uwasi-Golluk, Dalaasa, Uwasi-Chansa, Mosidema, Logzirinsa, Yedema-Yogsa, Gobsa-Naagandem and Uwasi-Gamsa. Additionally, teachers in five basic schools in the district such as Doninga, Wupiensa, Bachongsa, Piisa-Gobsa and Gbedemblisa primary schools would further benefit from the same project, he added. He commended the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for supporting the Assembly to identify and build the capacities of 30 artisans and 150 community technical providers to render technical services on rural sanitation to some communities in the district.

The DCE also announced that an agreement was reached between the Assembly and the CWSA to revamp the Fumbisi Small Town Water System, while the Ministry of Special Development Initiative was constructing six solar powered boreholes and 10 boreholes in underserved communities to increase access to potable water.

Mr Gariba noted that access to Water, Sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, coupled with disease reduction interventions being implemented by the Assembly had significantly contributed to the improvement of health care services in the region.

He called on the youth to take advantage of the various agricultural opportunities being provided by government under President Nana Addo to venture into farming and improve on their livelihoods.