Ghana Statistical Service reveals alarming water scarcity figures from 2022 survey

Ghanaian

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed data from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) indicating that 19.1% of individuals in Ghana lacked access to sufficient drinking water in the month before the survey.

In the Northern Region, the figure was significantly higher, with 32.1% of individuals facing water scarcity, followed by Oti (31.2%) and North East (26.2%)

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Conversely, the Upper East (14.0%) and Ashanti (14.5%) regions reported the lowest percentages of individuals without adequate drinking water.

This information was shared by the GSS to mark World Water Day 2024, themed 'Water for Peace', emphasizing the urgent need to address water challenges across the country.

The GSS highlighted that 6.5% of the population traveled more than 30 minutes to obtain drinking water, with the North East Region recording the highest percentage (27.5%).

Furthermore, 59.9% of Ghanaians lacked water on their premises, with the Savannah Region reporting the highest percentage (89.8%).

Regionally, access to basic drinking water services varied, with the North East Region having the lowest percentage (43.4%), while Greater Accra (97.7%) and Ashanti (94.8%) boasted the highest.

The data also revealed disparities based on wealth quintiles, with individuals in the poorest quintile having the lowest access to basic water services (52.1%) compared to the wealthiest quintile (97.9%).

Additionally, the GSS highlighted that a significant proportion of individuals using unimproved water sources did not treat their water, posing health risks.