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Govt donor partners tackle ‘fluoride’ in Bongo District

The Government with the support from donor partners has initiated pragmatic measure to help deal with the ‘fluoride’ situation in the Bongo District of the Upper East region.

The donor partners helping government to curb the fluoride menace, include World Bank, UNICEF and Water Aid Ghana.

Fluoride is an inorganic, monatomic anion with the chemical formula F− , whose salts are typically white or colorless. Fluoride salts typically in water have distinctive bitter tastes, and are odorless

Fluoride in water, including boreholes affects the teeth of children and adults in the district.

The District Chief Executive (DCE)  for Bongo, Mr Peter Ayamga, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, in Bongo on Saturday, some development partners decided to assist deal with the problem, following an appeal from the assembly.

“The World Bank is supporting the government to provide portable water to many communities in the district that are affected by the fluoride problem,” Mr Ayamga stressed.

He mentioned Lungu, Balungu, Namoo, Booko, Dua, Adaboya, Bong-Brogo Gowrie, Zorko, Bongo–Soe  as beneficiary communities.

Mr Ayamga said the Assembly was providing the people with 38 boreholes through its District Assembly Common Fund.

He  indicated plans were far advanced by the government for the Ghana Water Company to treat water in the Vea Dam for distribution to communities in the Bongo, Zorko, Bongo and Vea.

Mr Ayamga said “President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo visited the Ghana Water Company at Vea community and gave the directive that all the obsolete equipment at the Ghana Water Company treatment plant at the Vea site be replaced with new ones, to pave the way for effective supply of water to the Bongo communities to help curb the fluoride problem. This has been done,” the DCE stated.

He said UNICEF and Water Aid had also  partnered  government to provide  all the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS)  compounds    in the district  with water systems.

Mr Ayamga stated that the Ministry of Special Initiative had provided solar mechanized boreholes to Amanga, Gamborongo, Beon, Nayorogo, Gowrie Kunkua and Feo communities

The DCE thanked the development partners for their support, saying it would help in fast-tracking the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal six, which plays emphasis on water and sanitation.

In another development, the DCE, who inaugurated a toilet facility at Akunduo said that about 10 communities in the district were expected to benefit from water facilities being provided with support from UNICEF.

He stated that the initiative formed part of efforts to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) in the district by the close of 2019, adding that 40  artisans have been trained to assist in the building of  toilet facilities with materials called  ‘‘Digniloo’’ supplied by UNICEF.

The DCE  expressed optimism that the district would meet the deadline of  achieving ODF by the end of 2019, and that more than 60 communities had been declared ODF whilst 18 areas were being triggered to end the canker.

FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, BONGO

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