“Time is now for our leaders to invest in WASH” – CDC Director

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC), in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday launched a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) training which will benefit a number of officials attached to those agencies.

The training will be held at the CDC’S Headquarters at Thomas Lands, Georgetown, and will see persons from these agencies, as well as other relevant authorities, such as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), being trained in securing clean and sanitary water during times of disaster.
CDC’s Director General, Major Loren Benons, speaking during the opening ceremony of the training, highlighted the various impacts and risks associated with the lack of sanitary water.

“The risk of children’s health, when over 700 children under the age of 5 die from diarrhoea caused by poor sanitation, hygiene and water every day; risk of maternal health when millions of mothers who give birth in health facilities without basic water sanitation and hygiene are at risk of infection and disease; risk of education when girls are kept home because of the lack of separate toilets or hygiene facilities in schools; risk of growth because parents cannot prepare healthy (meals) for their children without safe water and children’s bodies remain lacking in nutrients; and the risk to entire economies,” he explained.

“The time is now for our leaders to invest in WASH. Every living being must have access to safe and potable water and basic sanitation, needed to clean and wash their hands,” he added.
Deputy Representative at UNICEF for Guyana and Suriname, Irfan Akhtar, reasoned that this training comes at a critical time, as Guyana is facing severe flooding in some regions.
“This training comes at a very important time, as we, the region including Guyana, (are) having very heavy rainfall which is leading to the floods in several areas, especially in hinterland areas and remote areas. It’s an important time to talk the talk of our preparedness or readiness to respond to the floods. As we know, every season brings floods. With the climate change, extreme weather events having increased in frequency and intensity…every year the same problem…so, it’s very important that we should be prepared and ready to respond to those needs of water sanitisation,” he said.
He also noted that water crisis can be caused by several other factors, which training will help in respond to tackle.
“Water crisis is not only because of floods…Guyana is the land of many waters, but there is shortage of water because of drought, because of access to the water transportations,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh, noted that the training would prepare the relevant agencies to better respond to disasters that prevent access to clean water.
“In all emergencies, whether they’re man-made or natural disasters, if we can predict them, we can prepare for them and we can handle them…once we can prepare; so, when we are presented with these emergencies, we are there to provide these services.”