MONROVIA, March 4 (LINA) - Finance and Development Planning Minister Amara Konneh has said a recent survey on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs in Liberian schools shows that about 55 percent of schools lack these facilities.
He said only few schools have hand washing facilities which were introduced as a result of the Ebola virus outbreak.
Minister Konneh said, therefore, the introduction and maintenance of WASH protocols in schools to combat the spread of the Ebola virus “is very important.”
According to a dispatch from Brussels, Minister Konneh was speaking Tuesday, March 3, at a forum organized by the Liberian Government and OXFAM for donors and partners to generate support towards improving the health and WASH programs in Liberian schools.
Konneh made a presentation on the current WASH program across the country, and called for the acceleration of the water, sanitation and hygiene programs in Liberian schools.
He exhibited a slide-show of the existing WASH programs in Liberia.
He said the WASH facilities will keep the students in school and keep them healthy, making them agents of change and healthier and stronger to attend
schools.
In remarks at the program, OXFAM Chief Executive Officer Mark Goldring said the WASH program is significant in dealing with diseases and how they can be spread.
He said Ebola is not over and all must continue to ensure that the disease is eliminated. He stressed that the appeal for water, sanitation and hygiene in all schools will boost Liberia's educational performance and will be a lasting post-Ebola legacy to its children.
The OXFAM CEO noted that during his recent visit to Liberia, he saw empty classrooms and a need for parents to see their children back in school.
He said having children return to school is vital, but without safe water, sanitation and hygiene those children would not be able to go back to school.
Mr. Goldring said getting children in school is the first and foremost concern of all, adding that OXFAM will continue to work with the Liberian government in strengthening its water, sanitation and hygiene program for schools.
LINA