Podcast Discusses the Market for Water Purification Tablets in Ghana

An Aquatabs sales representative in Ghana meets with nursing mothers to discuss the many ways properly treated drinking water enhances maternal and child health. Photo credit: Medentech

Summary

It is one of the world’s most popular water purification tablets. Thanks to the work of local distribution partners around the world, Aquatabs, produced by a private company called Medentech, helped treat more than 11 billion liters of water globally in 2016.

In Ghana, the tablets were first introduced to the Ghanaian market roughly 10 years ago by the USAID Ghana Sustainable Change Project. The tablets remain in high demand there today — more than 4 million tablets were sold in Ghana alone in 2015, with similar sales figures in 2016. Why so popular after all these years? First and foremost, affordability — but also a proven ability to reduce the prevalence of dangerous waterborne illnesses like cholera, and bolster community health.

In its latest podcast, USAID’s Global Waters Radio takes you to Ghana to gain on-the-ground insights into how water treatment supplies are marketed and distributed to Ghanaian households. Global Waters Radio recently spoke with Aquatabs distributor Ernest Saka Ansong and vendor Asieduwaa Ofori Darko. They share stories of the gradual behavior change they have witnessed in the communities they serve, as more and more households are relying on purification tablets instead of energy-intensive water boiling to ensure the safety of their water supply.

Ansong and Darko also share with listeners their thoughts about what types of marketing and distribution tactics have proven particularly effective in ensuring Aquatabs reaches as many households as possible that do not enjoy access to a reliable, safe drinking water supply.