Residents of Huniso in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western region have gained access to a 40,000-litre Small Town Water Supply System to improve safe and clean drinking water in the community.

The facility, constructed at USD 31,112.24 and funded by the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, was handed over during this year’s World Clean-up Day celebration, marked under the theme “Strive for Five.”

Project Manager of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, Madam Sandra Deladem Woanyah, explained that the initiative forms part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to transforming lives beyond mining.

“We came here to join the community to clean up, but it’s also important that we educate them. One of the key diseases they see here is typhoid fever. We are excited that this project will contribute to preventive healthcare in our host communities,” she said.

Physician Assistant at the Samahu Health Centre, Isaac Asante, revealed that cases of typhoid fever and malaria have been rising in the area due to poor sanitation and unsafe water practices. He stressed that the new facility would help reduce waterborne diseases.

“When we say typhoid, it simply means someone has ingested faeces. Most of the time, it is caused by poor sanitation. This water project will save the majority of our people from water-borne diseases,” he emphasised.

The commissioning was also marked by a massive community clean-up exercise involving residents, schoolchildren, leaders, and municipal authorities. Participants cleared dumping sites, collected waste, and took part in educational sessions on waste management, recycling, and health risks linked to poor sanitation.

The Chief of Huniso, Nana Nvidah, commended the Foundation for the water facility and urged residents to maintain unity in keeping their surroundings clean. Meanwhile, the Municipal Environmental Officer, Kwabena Dramani, cautioned that sanitation by-laws would be enforced more strictly.

“Sanitation is a way of life, and I think it’s a law. Anybody who violates the rules of managing waste shall be punished severely to serve as a deterrent. Environmental officers will be moving house to house to arrest violators,” he warned.

The Huniso initiative represents a three-pronged approach: ensuring access to clean water, educating the community, especially schoolchildren, on proper hygiene, and enforcing sanitation laws. Together, these measures aim to reduce preventable diseases and improve the well-being of residents.