EU missed golden opportunity to save thousands of lives but can make amends’ – WaterAid
The EU has missed a golden opportunity to help save thousands of people’s lives in sub-Saharan Africa by failing to make sanitation and hygiene in particular a key consideration at its EU-AU Summit in Brussels, WaterAid said today.
WaterAid calls on the EU to urgently make amends and scale up its investments in hand hygiene, sanitation and water throughout its programmes for the region in the coming seven years.
According to a yet to be published analysis commissioned by WaterAid, the world’s 46 least developed economies need investments from donors to the tune of $425 million every year to ensure poor families have soap and water in their homes, and $488 million a year for water, sanitation and hygiene in existing healthcare facilities.
Safe water, sanitation and hygiene in homes, communities, schools and hospitals are a life-saving part in the defense against pandemics, bacterial diseases and the impacts of climate change, WaterAid said.
“People in parts of sub-Saharan Africa have been hit by crisis after crisis over the past years. Countries like Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi have faced both the COVID-19 pandemic, but also repeated droughts, storms and flooding”, said Robert Kampala, WaterAid’s Regional Director for Southern Africa. “Despite efforts from governments, NGOs and others, many people are still without the absolute basics such as clean water, decent toilets and soap. This is a slowly creeping emergency that is not being properly tackled, but it impacts millions of people.”
Each day, an estimated 800 children under the age of five die due to a lack of access to clean water or toilets. Improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene can save thousands of lives as it leads to more secure and diverse livelihoods, better access to education, especially for girls, and better community health. It is a critical step in achieving gender equality and it strengthens community resilience to climate change, WaterAid said.
Claire Seaward, WaterAid’s Global Campaigns Director said: “People cannot be resilient to anything without access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene. Together, the EU and AU can break a deadly cycle by committing to ‘no regrets’ investments that could lift millions out of a cycle of disease and poverty. If African and European leaders are serious about green recovery, pandemic preparedness, and peace and governance, they must ensure clean water, safe sanitation and hygiene are among the key tools to invest in.”
The EU and the AU have a responsibility to use their political and economic heft to lead the way, WaterAid emphasized. To truly impact people’s lives. The EU and AU need to invest in climate-resilient WASH services to help the most vulnerable communities cope with the impacts of climate change.
The EU and European donors must make financial and technical support available to sub-Saharan African governments so that they strengthen access to hand hygiene in all settings, in particular homes, schools and healthcare facilities. African governments need to develop, finance and implement plans to strengthen hygiene services and collect data on access to hand hygiene in households, schools and healthcare facilities.
The EU should scale up emergency funding for WASH in healthcare facilities prioritising those least prepared to face current and future pandemics or disease outbreaks and those with the weakest health systems.
