We’re happy WVG’s Executive Breakfast Conversation has become a solutions centre addressing WASH challenges -Dr. Tinah Mukunda

The World Vision Ghana (WVG) Executive Breakfast Conversation has officially transitioned from a platform for policy dialogue into a critical national hub for actionable sector interventions.

Expressing great satisfaction with the platform’s evolution, WVG National Director Dr. Tinah Mukunda noted: “We’re happy WVG’s Executive Breakfast Conversation (EBC) has become a solutions centre addressing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) challenges.

Speaking at the 5th edition of the flagship summit in Accra yesterday, Dr. Mukunda emphasized that the dialogue series has moved beyond mere stock-taking, citing the government’s inclusion of sanitation as a key performance indicator for Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and the 10% allocation of the District Assembly’s Common Fund towards improved environmental sanitation.

This, she said, has the potential to trigger a national consciousness and reawaken the national citation touches as we derogate the prospects, opportunities, and constraints of this bold declaration.

Dr. Mukunda commended His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, and the government of Ghana for making environmental sanitation a national development priority.

“We can clap for that. It is really, really, really refreshing. It is refreshing to note that the recommendations of previous conversations may have also found favour with the government in taking steps to implement two major policy initiatives, making sanitation a key performance indicator for MMDAs and the 10% allocation of the district assembly’s common fund towards improved environmental sanitation.

I am particularly very happy that the conversations have not just become a talk shop, but also a solution centre producing practical and groundbreaking recommendations to address WASH service delivery and challenges that we are facing in this sector as an organization, she reiterated.

These recommendations, according to the WVG National Director, have been very critical, and they have informed the strategic intent in World Vision, as well as informing its programming priorities.

“Madam Chair, today’s conversation should be approached with a high sense of urgency, I say a high sense of urgency, institutional hiccups, especially the absence of technical agents between the Ministry and the MMDAs, week regulatory environment, stagnation in environmental sanitation progress, for example, open defecation situation virtually remains the same and unchanged since 2015 while other sub-Saharan Africa or sub-Saharan African countries have reduced it by 15% and unresolved solid waste crisis, poses a serious threat to public health and the socio-economic well-being of children and their families,” Dr. Mukunda stated.

She reminded stakeholders of the high stakes involved in sanitation, citing that 18% of Ghanaian households still lack toilet facilities (surging to 31% in rural areas), while 26% of public schools completely lack access to toilets.

“Every hour spent searching for water is an hour lost from school,” Dr. Mukunda stated, reinforcing WVG’s commitment to driving systemic structural reforms through collaborative efforts.

The Executive Breakfast Conversation in 2022 was on the theme: Unlocking Ghana’s safe drinking water and environmental sanitation puzzle.

In 2023, the conversation was on MMDAs and sanitation water service delivery, while in 2024, it focused on Repositioning Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene as a key driver of national development.

The 2025 edition discussed the resolution of the then Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, a Strategic Realignment or a Potential Setback for the delivery of wash services, and in that conversation, there was a conclusion.

The conclusion was that, whether under one ministry or two, stakeholders should only be interested in one outcome, and this is the outcome: greater prioritization and increased investment for accelerated and inclusive wash services delivery that leaves no one behind.

The EBC platform now serves as a mechanism to mobilize political will, resolve institutional bottlenecks, and implement field-level WASH strategies.

The summit brought together civil society organisations, development partners, and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

A central theme of the forum was aligning national goals with local enforcement, particularly following the inclusion of sanitation targets into the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used to evaluate local government leaders.

According to WVG leadership, changing the conversation from abstract policy to measurable municipal accountability is a major milestone for the sector.

The ongoing success of the breakfast series directly supports World Vision Ghana’s newly launched 2026–2030 WASH Business Plan.

This $120+ million roadmap aims to deliver safe water, sanitation, and dignified hygiene to over 700,000 vulnerable individuals across 23 target districts.

By positioning the Executive Breakfast Conversation as an active “solutions centre,” WVG and its state partners ensure that these large-scale investments are met with the necessary political backing and policy realignment required for long-term sustainability.

By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH