Water, sanitation and hygiene
Only six of the 21 countries in the region, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Afria, Swaziland, and Uganda are on track to meet the related target under MDG 7 of reducing the proportion of the population without access to safe water by half between 1990 and 2015. Geographical disparities are vast, with 87 percent of people in urban neighborhoods having access to improved drinking water sources compared to 59 percent of the population in rural areas. Only three countries, Angola, Botswana, and South Africa, are on track to meet the MDG target of reducing the proportion of people without sanitation by half. Open defecation – the unhealthiest sanitation practice of all – is still commonplace in some countries. In Ethiopia, Namibia and Mozambique, for example, the proportion of people who practice open defecation stands at 46, 52 and 41 percent, In the whole of sub-Saharan Africa it is particularly the poor who lack access to sanitation. The lowest income quintile is 16 times more likely to practice open defecation than the highest.
More stories on WASH Geneva/New York, 13 May 2013: 2.4 billion people will lack improved sanitation in 2015 22 Mar 2013: Ethiopia: Clean water, sanitation and a hygienic environment, crucial for children 5 March 2013: Solar power brings water to rural communities in Somalia 24 Dec 2012: A well offers hope for the future in rural Kenya Related links |
