Although Guyana has made progress in the sanitation sector, there is still scope for much improvement, a strategic plan produced by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) has stated.
The plan was unveiled yesterday at a gathering of representatives from various health organisations and other stakeholders at an event held at the Sea Breeze Hotel, in Kitty. The document was handed over to Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy by PAHO/ WHO Environmental Health Advisor for Guyana, Dr. Te?filo Monteiro. Monteiro is the Co-ordinator of the Technical Team which worked on the preparation of the Strategic Plan.
According to Monteiro, the plan is part of the Millennium Development sanitation target, which aims at reducing the number of persons without access to proper sanitation and hygiene facilities. Based on statistics about 2.6 billion people (40%) of the world’s population lack access to such facilities, and the aim of the Millennium Project is to reduce this number by 50% by the year 2015.
Monteiro told this newspaper that following deliberations with the Ministry of Health, it was decided that after one year, an evaluation will be done assessing the progress made with the implementation of the strategic plan locally.
The Environmental Health Advisor also told Stabroek News that it would take about US $50M to implement all the proposals identified in the plan. The plan has called for the upgrading of toilet and hand washing facilities in homes and at all public buildings. It also recommended that a public education campaign on hygiene be conducted.
The document also recommends that the standard of latrines used locally be examined. It suggests that latrines of a Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) standard be installed on premises that currently do not have any as well as to replace those that do not meet the standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO). According to statistics in the document, currently more than 66% of households locally have pit latrines with more than half of them being below WHO standards.
Nevertheless, it also proposes that a programme of “progressive upgrading from acceptable pit latrines to septic tanks” be undertaken. Only 24% of local households have septic tanks, data from the plan reveals.
Further, the plan suggests that emphasis be placed on the rehabilitation of the central Georgetown system as an issue of public health in the city.
The current system is the only water-borne sewerage system in the country and is in urgent need of rehabilitation.
However, the plan states that the responsibility for the local sanitation sector is currently divided among several agencies and ministries which has resulted in weak leadership and accountability. As a result, it suggests that a body be established to assume leadership of the sector. And although, no official leadership body has been established as yet, the Environmental Health Unit within the Ministry of Health has been identified as the body to give initial oversight to the implementation of the plan.
It is expected that a meeting will be held next month with the various stakeholders to determine an action plan.
Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, in his feature address, underscored the importance of sanitation globally. He said that while Guyana had made improvements in this area not enough was being done. “Sanitation is not just important for aesthetics but it is an important developmental issue,” he said.
The Minister lamented the fact that Guyanese do not know how to use toilet facilities. This is supported by the fact that that there is no public facility in the country that is in an acceptable state, he said.
Several months ago there was a furore over the drowning death of a school girl in a pit latrine at the Santa Rosa Primary School in the north west. The PTA there has since mobilized for flush toilets after the government did not make an immediate intervention.
