Three out of ten people worldwide still do not have access to safe drinking water, a vital resource! In sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that nearly half a billion people face water scarcity every day and more than 700 million people do not have access to improved sanitation facilities.
As a result, hundreds of millions of lives are threatened by infectious diseases? diseases due to lack of water, sanitation and hygiene services, and key economic sectors such as agriculture, fishing and mining are severely affected. Each year, Sub-Saharan Africa loses 5% of its gross domestic product due to water scarcity.
Yet the resource exists. Whether in groundwater or surface water, our continent has significant shared resources that can help meet the present and future needs of our populations. As President Macky Sall so aptly recalled at the launch of the Water-Peace-Security Initiative in 2015, in New York, « Water is a source of life and well-being when its use calls for cooperation and sharing ».
A perfect example is the Senegal River, a resource that Guinea, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal have in common. By creating the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS) more than 50 years ago, our countries understood very early on that cooperation is a guarantee of peace, social cohesion and integrated development for our communities. The concerted management of this heritage has played a considerable role in the progress made in access to water and sanitation in our countries in recent decades. In Senegal, for example, the vision for improved well-being and shared prosperity – driven by the Plan Sénégal Émergent – has led to an estimated 95.1% access to water in rural areas and 98.8% in urban areas by 2022; and an estimated 89.8% access to sanitation in urban areas and 59.7% in rural areas. Now more than ever, cooperation must be our weapon at national, regional and global levels to address the multiple challenges we face in achieving universal access to water and sanitation.
Lack of safe water and sanitation services in many parts of the world is a threat to all. We now know that health, security, migration and humanitarian crises are intimately linked to water and sanitation security. Water stress, floods and population-movements induced by climate change increase the risk of epidemics and threaten our food security. More importantly, the scarcity of sustainable financing for water and sanitation services at global and regional levels threatens to undermine the progress made so far. In this context, it is essential that we work together to close the gap in access to water and sanitation between communities, states and regions of the world. To this end, we need to develop water and sanitation policies that are designed and implemented through a cooperative lens. This also applies to hygiene and sanitation, which cannot be separated from water issues.
The Dakar Declaration adopted at the 9th World Water Forum in March 2022, entitled “a “BLUE DEAL” for water security and sanitation for peace and development”, has already set the stage. By emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the Dakar Declaration highlights – amongst other things – the importance of guaranteeing the right to water and sanitation through innovative public and private financing mechanisms. This declaration thus laid the foundations for Interactive Dialogue No. 4 on « Water for Cooperation », which Senegal had the honor of co-chairing with the Swiss Confederation at the conference that has just ended in New York. Senegal brought the contribution and the common position of Africa by putting into perspective the « Blue Deal » endorsed by the Executive Committee of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW). On this occasion, Senegal also underlined the importance of transboundary and intersectoral cooperation in the field of water, as well as the place of water in achieving the sustainable development goals.
It is through this cooperation between governments, civil society, private sector and other water and sanitation actors that we will be able to face, together, the climatic, economic and health challenges that go beyond our borders.
Please find this op-ed originally published on :
Africa.com in English
Jeune Afrique in French
This partnership, signed during the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal from 21 to 26 March 2022, aims to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on water and sanitation in Africa through effective synergy between the two organisations.
Speak Up Africa will continue to support efforts to implement inclusive and equitable sanitation policies alongside AMCOW so that African countries can guarantee water security on the continent, accelerate access to safely managed sanitation, strengthen governance systems and water management structures, and to account for commitments at continental and global level.
« This renewed and strengthened partnership will enable us to intensify our joint efforts with sanitation stakeholders to improve water and sanitation services in Africa and, above all, to strengthen policies for better governance of the sector. »
Rashid Mbaziira, AMCOW Executive Secretary
As a reminder, since 2019, Speak Up Africa has supported the process of developing, disseminating and adopting the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines (ASPG), in French-speaking African countries, notably Senegal and Niger.
These Guidelines will enable African countries without inclusive and equitable policies to reassess, revise or develop their policies by incorporating aspects relating to gender, menstrual hygiene management, clear roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, and sanitation service levels.
Through the ASPGs, AMCOW aims to create a framework that provides technical support to countries to implement inclusive and equitable policies to move closer to achieving the Ngor Commitments and the SDGs by 2030.
Signing this partnership, based on of equity, inclusion and transparency, demonstrates both organisations’ strong commitment to improving sanitation conditions for the people of Africa. The mid-term assessment of the Sustainable Development Goals has highlighted how far behind Africa is.
Inclusive sanitation policies must be put in place to ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable populations are properly met.
« The right to water and sanitation is a fundamental human right. We reiterate our commitment to supporting AMCOW in the dissemination of the ASPGs, and countries in the implementation of inclusive and equitable sanitation policies across the continent, and we are convinced that together and with the support of partners, we will succeed in ensuring access to high quality sanitation facilities for all ».
Yacine Djibo, Speak Up Africa Founder and Executive Director
Taking place every three years since 1997, the ninth World Water Forum was held from the 21st to 26th March 2022.
The World Water Forum usually takes place in partnership with a host country, to serve as a platform for the multiple water and sanitation stakeholders. This year’s edition in Senegal focused on four strategic priorities: water security, cooperation, water for rural development, and tools and means governing the framework needed to manage sustainable access to water and sanitation – such as financing, governance, knowledge management and innovation.
The Dakar Forum was intended to be the forum of solutions through the promotion of major innovations such as the sanitation village.
« As ordinary citizens, CSOs, policymakers, and general stakeholders – as human beings, really – it is our duty to ensure we help change this narrative » … « Access to sanitation is a human right that provides one of the most elemental forms of dignity. »
Yacine Djibo, Founder and Executive Director of Speak Up Africa
Water security is a serious problem. Every year 2.6 million people die from water-borne diseases. Worldwide, approximately 2.4 billion people don’t have access to basic sanitation, such as toilets and latrines. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 72% of the population live without access to basic sanitation and 32% still practice open defecation. This lack of adequate sanitation practices hinders the eradication of water-borne diseases such as dysentery, as well as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
During this Forum’s edition, Speak Up Africa, a policy and advocacy action tank, launched the Golden Sludge Campaign, an initiative aiming to increase awareness, prioritization, and political commitment through the implementation of equitable and inclusive sanitation policies. This campaign also incorporates political commitment for sanitation, by developing and implementing inclusive policies with clear outcomes and benefits.
Speak Up Africa supported also the launch of the “Sanitation Village”, a space which was created for facilitating advocacy, awareness, discussion and learning about sanitation and hygiene, learning, exchanging about innovations and championing advancements in this sector.
The Sanitation Village underscores the need for dedicated access to safely managed sanitation. The sanitation community struggles to benefit from exchange platforms where they can share knowledge, innovations. Previous World Water Forum editions were not inclusive for sanitation stakeholders. Senegal being a leader in the sanitation sector, both regional and international levels; it was crucial for its leadership to provide an inclusive space for the sanitation community. Hence, the Sanitation Village initiative emerged to be a platform to reflect on sanitation challenges and provide solutions that work!
Stakeholders including Speak Up Africa organized side-events and sessions as part of the Sanitation Village – with the premise of sanitation challenges being discussed by its community. Sessions included a panel organized by Speak Up Africa on the inclusion of gender at all levels of the sanitation sector. Still today, gender issues fail to be well integrated in the sector, both in terms of access to services and infrastructures, and of decision-making processes.
« Key in this planning, and again in providing dignity to our citizens, is inclusivity. We cannot forget the diversity of humanity’s lived experiences – and we need to be able to cater for all types of people, across a wide range of situations. »
Ms. Rajah Sy, Director of Special Olympics
Sanitation issues affect all people living in vulnerable situations – especially women and girls who menstruate. One in ten girls do not attend school during their menstrual cycle due to lack of proper toilet facilities for their own needs. In Senegal, women lose 40% of their income during these five days.
The Sanitation Village was a dear space for decision-makers, Mr. Serigne Mbaye Thiam, Senegal’s Minister of Water and Sanitation and Honorable Ake Natonde, the Member of the Parliament from the Republic of Benin – both partook in discussions to strengthen the collaborative dynamic for a more resilient sanitation and health sector.
« Access to toilets for all is not only a question of dignity but also a question of humanity. Together, we can convene to provide better access to safe sanitation and understand the ways that sanitation issues impede the progress of their areas and environments. » … « Furthermore, it allows us to demonstrate how facilitating inclusive sanitation issues can foster development. »
Mr Thiam.
« Fundamentally, this work cannot be done alone. » … « It is important that we find ways to work together across the entirety of the water and water-sanitation value chain. »
Hon. Natonde
« It is important to develop and implement a coordinated and inclusive strategic plan to identify the needs of each one of us, and to develop and implement fair and equitable solutions. We have set goals for 2030, which is not much time. We must ensure better facilities for all our citizens. Only collaboration can bring about a better Africa, along with better hygiene practices, a reduction in waterborne diseases, a reduction in the number of people sick or dying due to lack of access to water and above all, preserved dignity for the most vulnerable. »
Pr. Ndioro Ndiaye, Minister Councilor
Key highlights of the World Water Forum included signing of two MOUs: one between the Government of Senegal and the Gates Foundation; and another between Speak Up Africa and the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW).
The 9th World Water Forum met expectations by effectively providing platforms of discussion and knowledge sharing convening both water and sanitation stakeholders and decision-makers. The Declaration issued at the closing of the Forum includes actions that will move us closer to the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030!
The policy guidelines aim to ease the process of resolving country-level enabling environment bottlenecks that stand in the way of African governments in meeting their national, regional, and global sanitation and hygiene obligations. They provide direction in functional policy drafting, broad stakeholder engagement, monitoring, and generic technical content specific to sanitation and hygiene service provision. They are applied for review, revision, and development of sanitation policies and implementation strategies. The ASPG is designed to influence and shape the process and content of an inclusive sanitation policy including equity consideration. They specifically cover faecal waste (human urine, faeces), anal cleansing materials, and hygiene (menstrual hygiene management; handwashing with soap and water) with the ambition of achieving safely managed sanitation for all. The document is presented in four broad areas as follows;
The guidelines are not meant to be prescriptive, but more supportive, appreciating the various contexts in the 55 countries in Africa. The ASPG is a rich document, with additional resources as annexes that have been applied successfully over the years. It has been done before successfully, and it can be done now with success! As we can see below, a number of solutions for Africa’s challenges can be found in the continent’s own experience, as seen over the years in countries and communities that have effectively addressed complex issues. For all areas dealt with by the ASPG, we can find at least one successful African story, which can both inspire and provide practical guidance to other parts of the continent.
They mainly define sanitation systems and services and why they are essential in a sanitation policy. The factors to consider for specifying sanitation systems and services in a policy are well outlined. This section of the guidelines demonstrates how policies can embrace various sanitation systems by enabling non-sewered (onsite) systems, sewered (sewerage and offsite treatment) sanitation systems, and service levels. The inclusion of both systems in urban environments has been shown to rapidly expand sanitation coverage, especially to the poor and the marginalised, leading to universal access.
South Africa’s eThekwini Water and Sanitation, whose work in the Durban area was recognised internationally in 2014, with the Stockholm Industry Water Award, demonstrates that Africans can achieve progress through improved systems. Although the eThekwini municipality still faces enormous challenges in this sector, systemic solutions, combining the offer of services free of charge for low-income households with high rates for those who can pay, have produced significant progress. Since the 2000s, the local authorities have been addressing the challenges of sanitation in the Durban area with a decentralised approach, in which non-sewered, onsite systems have been improved and embraced as viable, efficient ,and cost-effective solutions. Facing financial and topographic difficulties in the areas with low-income communities, the local eThekwini offered a combined service of water and sanitation. Residents received 300 litres of water per day, while using a dry sanitation system, with safe onsite disposal of human waste.
The installation of thousands of ablution blocks and urine-diverting toilets also provided sanitation options for informal settlements, with an approach that sought to maximise both financial capacities with the characteristics of both the terrain and the local communities.
Traditionally, behaviour change is not included in service-oriented water and sanitation policies, and this omission undermines their progression. ASPG, in this section, sheds light on what sanitation and hygiene behaviour change elements are and why they should be integrated into a sanitation policy. It also lists factors to consider when formulating sanitation and hygiene behaviour change policies. In this case, ASPG leans on the sector experience that market-based solutions are vital in bridging , the willingness to aford a toilet , the prevailing access and the sustainability gap. Therefore, customer knowledge is critical in deepening the demand and sustainability of related products and services. This knowledge needs targeted attention to trigger households rights and responsibilities, and to strengthen linkage with public and private service providers.
A positive example comes from Rwanda, where in 2019 the government launched a new initiative around hygiene and behaviour change that placed the issue on a much wider context. Its National Handwashing Sub-Strategy 2019-2024 described poor handwashing with soap practice as a “cross-cutting concern”, causing preventable mortality in the country. Improving it became a priority to be implemented “in the home, schools, health facilities, and throughout all public and private institutions”.
The initiative was organised in three areas: creation of demand for handwashing practices; strengthening the environment to support handwashing promotion and practice; and building the necessary supply of facilities and products. As the substrategy stated, these actions “aim to create a country where all people – men, women, boys, girls, and people with disabilities – can wash their hands with soap at all critical moments”. The initiative’s target was any authority or group with impact on hygiene behaviour, including all levels of government, non-government organisations (NGOs) and the private sector.
Covid-19 tested the resilience of the Rwandan initiative, but the results remained auspicious. In February 2021, a USAID report about the effects of the pandemic on access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in the country said that “self-reporting handwashing levels are high in Rwanda during the pandemic period”. Regarding supply of facilities and products, USAID stated: “We found little evidence of persistent or widespread shortages of soap and other hygiene products”.
Lack of clarity in institutional mandates and in accountability is probably one problem that bedevils efforts to provide sanitation and hygiene services in Africa and many developing countries worldwide. The few African countries that have made a meaningful effort in clarifying institutional roles and responsibilities appear to be making headway in meeting their national sanitation targets. The ASPG explains the meaning and importance of specifying and including institutional arrangements in a national sanitation policy and what to consider. This is in line with the good governance needed. In addition to clarity, inclusion of various stakeholders in the service provision ecosystem is of particular importance. This is especially providing space for public sector to delegate some elements of service provision to the private sector.
Senegal is the first Sub-Saharan African country to have formally endorsed the ASPG. Even though the country regroups aset of policy documents, including the Hygiene Code and the 2016-2025 Sectoral Policy Letter, most of these texts have yet to provide a clear description of stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities. Senegal has therefore kickstarted a vast program designed to update sanitation policy and strategy documents.
While this broad review will allow the country to ensure alignment with the ASPG, it also provides a great opportunity for increased efficiency and coordination amongst national bodies and authorities across the value chain. Documents to be reviewed include the Sanitation Code, the National Sanitation Strategy, and a set of Decrees and Orders, namely the one aimed on the certification of mechanical emptying. Through the inclusion of the ASPG in national policies as of 2023, Senegal aspires to fast track universal access to safely managed sanitation in both urban and rural areas by 2030.
Lack of regulation and requisite regulatory mechanisms is the soft underbelly of providing adequate and sustainable access to safe sanitation and hygiene in Africa. For the continent to achieve safely managed sanitation services, sanitation policies need to stipulate a regulatory framework that ensures the development of safe sanitation systems and delivery of services, which comply with prescribed laws, regulations, rules, bylaws, guidelines, and standards. Several initiatives are already underway to strengthen sanitation regulation in the African continent.
In Zambia, the creation in 2018 of a regulatory framework for the management of sanitation waste in urban communities has been a key step forward for WASH services. The Urban Onsite Sanitation and Faecal Sludge Management: Framework for Provision and Regulation in Zambia aims to create a regulatory framework to underpin the proper functioning of the whole sanitation chain, including on-site sanitation and faecal sludge management. In Lusaka, some 85% of the population are dependent on non-sewered services.
One result of the framework has been that the country’s 11 regional utilities, which used to be purely responsible for sewered sanitation, are now formally responsible for non-sewered sanitation services as well. Improvements to the sanitation tariffs – charges placed on water bills to pay for sanitation services – will make more funding available for these non-sewered services. The national regulator is developing a monitoring system to track the performance of each utility and provide national rankings.
In addition, the Zambia Bureau of Standards is improving standards for sanitation technologies, and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency is developing a wastewater quality monitoring programme. The regulatory framework and the improved standards are making it easier for the private sector to enter the sanitation market and provide services on behalf of the public sector.
A weak enabling environment means weak institutions, which translates to frail institutional structures, systems, and human development capability. This situation precludes public agencies, formal and informal businesses, non-profit entities, and individuals from executing their defined roles in sanitation and hygiene service provision. ASPG emphasises the inclusion of capacity building, which was a critical call voiced from stakeholder consultation sessions. Countries or markets that have invested in institutional and human capacity development are likely to accelerate universal coverage and be at the forefront of reaching their national sanitation targets.
In South Africa, the national government has made progress in building skills in the sanitation workforce. The initiative commenced in 2015 with a skills gap analysis that showed urgent attention was needed across a range of public sector institutions, including the Department of Water and Sanitation, municipalities, catchment management agencies and water boards. Since then, the creation of a Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency is supporting local governments to increase their skills in a range of areas including water and sanitation; and in 2019, the country launched a National Water and Sanitation Master Plan which incorporated a chapter dedicated to capacity-building. The plan recognises that its ambitions will not be achieved “without addressing the issue of capacity – the skilled people required to undertake the work”.
Different public sector entities, such as the DWS and the WRC, have been tasked with a range of activities designed to improve the skills of people working in the sector. Career paths are being defined, with specific training and on the job experience; a programme for recruiting experienced staff in South Africa, and then internationally, is being implemented; and post-graduate skills are being developed to strengthen South Africa’s science, technology and innovation capability, amongst other initiatives. The government is also working with national and international donors to improve capacity in the sanitation sector, as well as requiring bidders for government contracts to contribute towards capacity-building initiatives.
Africa cannot raise its levels of access to sanitation without increasing capital investment to develop complete and functional service chains. Furthermore, sanitation is not a profitable and attractive business; hence public resources are required to bridge the financing gap in capital and operational costs for small and medium enterprises. These businesses are critical in supporting the public sector through the delegation of services. Delegation accelerates service provision and makes the market system for sanitation and hygiene functional. ASPG is encouraging a departure from the traditional approach, where governments have only funded sewerage capital investment and related operational costs.
The guidelines emphasise that African sanitation policies need to be realistic. Therefore, it is emphatic that the government should allocate public resources to develop and maintain both non-sewered and sewered sanitation. In this area, Chad offers a very good example. Helped by the development of its oil industry in the 21st century, which led to a five-fold increase in GDP per capita between 2001 and 2014, Chad has made significant progress in the way it invests in sanitation. In 2003, a government document said: “There is practically no basic sanitation infrastructure, in either rural or urban areas. Everything needs to be done in this field”. A decade later, the improvement was clear: in 2015, the proportion of the population with access to improved toilets had reached 14.8%, and then 16.1% in 2019 (United Nations). The use of improved unshared toilets rose to 8.2% in 2015 and 12.1% four years later. Those numbers expose how far behind Chad still is from universal coverage, but also reveal real achievements, which have been made possible by increasingly effective funding and financing for the sanitation sector.
The government’s road map for an Open Defecation Free (ODF) Chad in 2030 has included an investment plan. The country’s goal, according to the government’s 2021 Voluntary National Review on sustainable development, is that “from now until 2030, to ensure the access by everyone, within equitable conditions, to sanitation and hygiene services and put an end to the open defecation”.
Chad has been considering different arrangements and sources of financing for its development goals, including the area of sanitation. “(…) On top of financing from traditional sources, some innovative routes are to be explored for implementing the SDGs in Chad”, stated the government in 2021. External funders, from development banks and foreign governments to civil society organisations, have played an important role, including the African Development Bank and the European Union.
Access to basic sanitation and hygiene services is a primary concern globally, with 3.6 billion people lacking safely managed sanitation and 2.3 billion without basic hygiene in 2020. To focus attention and resources towards alleviating this problem in such regions, the UN declared access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene as Sustainable Development Goal 6. Under which Target 6.2 aims at achieving access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying particular attention to the needs of women and girls and all those in vulnerable situations by the year 2030.
The world is slowly realising that access to basic hygiene and sanitation is not just about constructing facilities like handwash stations, pit latrines, and flush toilets. It is about developing a complete and functional sanitation system backed by a robust enabling environment comprising multifaceted policy, institutional, regulatory, governance, and financing and marketing arrangements. And strengthening this environment, which forms the foundation of sustainable service provision, begins with promoting adaptive and supportive policies, taking into account gender issues and a multisectoral approach.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 72% of over 962 million people lack essential sanitation services, and 31.9% practise open defecation.
This deprivation undermines economic development by exacerbating the health risk factors of the general population, mainly for those who are already vulnerable (children under five , pregnant women, poorest and marginalised people, persons with disabilities, etc..) . The practice specifically downgrades the dignity and health of women and girls, who form the backbone of economic production and development in the region. Across the African region, a key factor to people lacking basic sanitation emanates from cultural considerations , and a weak enabling environment. Various scenarios present themselves in the 55 countries in Africa, that when closely mapped through systems thinking, indicate that the enabling environment is critical.
Based on this thinking, the African Union’s member states led by the Africa Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) in 2015, adopted The AfricaSan Ngor Declaration, with a vision to achieve universal access to adequate and sustainable sanitation and hygiene services and eliminate open defecation by 2030. This high-level development and political commitment are meant to establish an enabling environment to strengthen the sanitation and hygiene systems. The N’gor monitoring report in 2018, indicated a risk of the commitments not being met like the MDGs if the continental leadership does not radically change tact.
The new African sanitation guidelines provide the continent with essential standards and references for future sanitation and hygiene policies improvements. They can be tailored to each country and consider existing diversity between countries, fragile states situation, etc. The ASPG stipulates what should be included in policies to resolve challenges faced by populations. The document aims to support governments in achieving their targets through policies that reflect lead to governance, regulation and financing of sanitation within their contexts and realities. With the new policy guidelines, the continent now stands a chance to benefit from an improved enabling environment that is a structured policy space that will facilitate the achievement of its goals and turn the page on the current state of inadequate sanitation and hygiene services for its populations.
The ASPG is a document that not only targets duty bearers, who are policymakers (both at national and sub-national levels), but calls for the engagement of all stakeholders that shape the policy making and implementation processes. For example, civil society groups can play a huge role in supporting stakeholder participation and monitoring financing and implementation of national action plans. Service providers, local governments and the private sector can deliver better services by closely engaging communities. It, therefore, calls on inclusive decision making, which experience shows, is not an impossible task.
The development of the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines has been a genuinely collaborative initiative bringing together the whole continent. AMCOW mobilised sanitation and hygiene experts across Africa to provide a robust peer review. This effort followed a consultative process that included meetings with various governments and partners guided by information from the policy survey carried out in 26 countries. Afterwhich, 12 country policy specific consultative processes took place to finalise the guidelines.
An implementation strategy is in place by AMCOW to ensure that the guidelines are well disseminated across the continent to create awareness and interest. An ASPG Demand Management System has been created to capture demand for ASPG awareness meetings with governments and stakeholders in countries and understand the policy support required. A country demand form is designed to capture the needs of a government after the awareness meetings. This form provides an opportunity for senior government officials to indicate what their priorities are at the national level concerning policy and what kind of support is required to align to the ASPG standards.
The countries are set to undergo an extensive sanitation policy assessment that will be considered as a baseline for the process, as the first step. This will provide information for policy benchmarking that will be presented in the Africa Sanitation Policy Index (ASPI). This will determine how much needs to be done to ensure that the sanitation policies and strategies are ASPG aligned. All this information will be captured in the already designed ASPG Uptake Tracking System (Dashboard) using the ASPG Policy Assessment tool (ASPAT) The ASPG is to be rolled out to all the 55 countries of Africa, a task that is not easy, but doable with the support of various partners. This led to the development of the Partner Coordination System (PCEP) that enlists multiple stakeholders and their contribution to the ASPG process in the countries. This is to ensure a coordinated approach to the high level of quality during the rollout of the ASPG.
High-level advocacy is key to the success of the ASPG rollout. Engaging senior policymakers in this process is the winning formula of success. Time and resources will be invested in continuous advocacy meetings and a wide stakeholder engagement to ensure no one is left behind during the policy process.The ASPG provides a wide range of resources that requires investing in the various stakeholders Capacity Building. This process presents an excellent opportunity for documenting both the learning and sharing, as part of Knowledge management for policy processes. All these will be led by the AMCOW secretariat providing Technical Backstopping. Previous experiences across the continent clarify that Africa can achieve the indicators of progress outlined in the guidelines because they have been done before, even if only in a few countries. This time around the focus is on increasing the scale of success to the entire continent.
Africa has rightfully and decisively opted to pursue something that its leaders and populations can deliver. With political will and determination to design the right policies towards a common goal, the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines should generate a high level of confidence and certainty amongst the continent’s authorities, summarised by these encouraging words: it can be done.
En prélude au 9ème Forum mondiale de l’eau, des femmes du secteur ont organisé le 20 mars 2022 un dialogue sur les défis de l’assainissement et la place qu’elles occupent dans les entreprises. Une occasion pour certaines de partager leur parcours.
Le dialogue des femmes dans le secteur de l’eau et de l’assaisonnement tenu hier montre le leadership féminin dans cette rencontre internationale. Cet échange en prélude du 9e Forum mondial de l’eau a permis à beaucoup de femmes de partager leur vécu. C’est le cas de la Directrice Général de la Sen Eau. Pour Mme Janny Arnal l’eau se voit au féminin.
« Avant de commencer ma carrière, je voyais que tout le monde était géré par les hommes. Ils occupaient tous les grands postes. Mais si c’est un poste voulu par une femme, il faut prouver », défend- t-elle. Poursuivant son témoignage elle souligne qu’à un moment donné elle est allée voir le Directeur pour un poste dans les opérations. « Il me dit une femme opératrice. Donc il fallait prouver, montrer au plombier que je suis capable de faire une prise en charge. En plus de cela je dois assurer tout le monde que je n’avais pas besoin de montrer. C’est ça les femmes il faut osez. Il ne faut pas se résigner. Il faut montrer qu’on est bien capable de le faire », explique Mme Arnal.
Avant de conseiller aux femmes d’aller toujours chercher le meilleur. Selon elle, les femmes se remettent toujours en question à cause de leur humilité.
« L’humilité de la femme fait qu’on se pose des questions si l’on est capable. Oui on est capable. Et vous faites la richesse des entreprises dans tous les pays du monde. On a quelque chose en force c’est le cœur. Quand on fait avec le cœur on fait les choses plus que les hommes. Alors osez chères femmes osez ».
Mme Arnal
Ce dialogue inscrit sous le thème : « Soutenir la croissance et promouvoir la visibilité des femmes professionnelles : la clé du succès du secteur Eau, Assainissement », vise selon Cheikh Tidjane Fall, représentant du Secrétaire exécutif dudit Forum à renforcer les capacités des femmes professionnelles et à les positionner au cœur des actions pour améliorer l’accès à l’eau et à l’assaisonnement. C’est aussi une illustration de plus pour les organisations de femmes.
« Les femmes sont très engagées pour la réussite du forum qui s’organise à Dakar au nom de toute l’Afrique. Il est impossible de parler de développent socio-économique de santé de paix et de sécurité sans l’implication des femmes et des filles du monde entier. Elles ont un rôle important aux côtés des autres acteurs de la société pour contribuer à la construction d’un monde ».
M. Fall
A new pan-African campaign, ‘March to Kigali’, launched on World Health Day this year, seeks to build momentum and galvanize action among African policymakers in the lead up to the Commonwealth Heads of State Summit (CHOGM) in Kigali in June 2021.
« March to Kigali » calls upon governments and partners across Africa to commit to, and prioritize, investments against malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Launched by a group of like-minded civil society organizations based in West and Central Africa, the campaign builds on the existing partnerships of its « No to NTDs » and « Zero Malaria Starts With Me » platforms.
‘March to Kigali’ aims to foster the commitments needed to achieve the elimination of these diseases by 2030 in the drive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By engaging key stakeholders and groups, the campaign aims to:
“African countries in the Commonwealth and beyond must play a leading role in investing in stronger health and sanitation systems in order to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including ending the epidemics of malaria and neglected tropical diseases. By ending these preventable and treatable diseases we will be investing in our children’s futures and helping to unleash unimaginable levels of growth and prosperity. Together, let’s March to Kigali!”
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone
Taking place on 25th April each year, World Malaria Day 2021 marks successes in the fight against the disease, calls on leaders to step up their commitments and highlights the responsibility we all have to end malaria within a generation. This year, alongside the launch of ‘March to Kigali’, leading organizations from across the continent are using their voices to engage communities and leaders alike:
“Ecobank is proud to continue lending our voice to the fight against malaria and neglected tropical diseases, which continue to impact and hinder the lives of millions of Africans each year. Malaria and NTDs are preventable and treatable, and through increased funding and commitment we can see an end to these diseases, which will lead to a healthier, happier and more prosperous continent.
Carl Manlan, Chief Operating Officer of The Ecobank Foundation
Since 2000, the global malaria community has prevented 1.5 billion cases and 7.6 million deaths from malaria. However, over 400,000 people still die from malaria each year, with Africa facing 90% of the global malaria burden. With the theme of ‘Zero Malaria – Draw the Line Against Malaria’, this World Malaria Day partners and organizations from around the world will demonstrate that zero malaria can be achieved by all.
“NTDs and malaria affect the most vulnerable in our society, and not only do they weaken those afflicted, they also weaken our health systems as a whole. Through clever investments, we can not only protect communities from these diseases, but ensure that we are able to respond to existing and emerging pandemics. We urge everyone to join our ‘March to Kigali’ and call upon governments and partners to commit to and prioritize the investments needed to build stronger health systems and put an end to malaria and NTDs”.
Yacine Djibo, Founder and Executive Director of Speak Up Africa
Join the ‘March to Kigali’ initiative and find out how to get involved at here.
Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, Speak Up Africa is a strategic communications and advocacy organization dedicated to catalyzing leadership, enabling policy change, and increasing awareness for sustainable development in Africa.
Through our platforms and relationships and with the help of our partners, we ensure that policy makers meet implementers; that solutions are showcased and that every sector – from individual citizens and civil society groups to global donors and business leaders – contributes critically to the dialogue and strives to form the blueprints for concrete action for public health and sustainable development.
Started in Senegal in 2014, the Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaign was endorsed by African leaders in July 2018 at the 31st African Union Summit. The campaign is jointly coordinated by the African Union Commission and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.
The Pan-African Zero Malaria Starts with Me movement seeks to build community ownership of malaria efforts and increase political commitment for malaria elimination across the African continent by:
The « No to NTDs » movement, led by Speak Up Africa, aims to increase awareness, prioritization and national commitment to accelerate the control and elimination of NTDs in Africa.
For more information, visit No To NTDs website
Launched by a group of like-minded civil society organizations based in West and Central Africa, the “March to Kigali” campaign includes political engagement, private sector and youth engagement and civil society commitment to galvanize a movement ahead of Kigali Summit on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases in June 2021.
The “March to Kigali » builds on existing partnerships and platforms of the « No to NTDs » and “Zero Malaria Starts with Me » and will contribute to sub-regional (West Africa) advocacy and communications efforts for better management of the fight against NTDs and malaria, which will lead to increased national resources and better political engagement around NTDs and malaria ahead of the Kigali Summit.
More precisely, the objectives of the campaign are to:
15 octobre 2020, Dakar, Sénégal – L’État du Sénégal, à travers le Ministère de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement ainsi que l’ensemble des acteurs du secteur travaillent à l’améliorer des conditions de vie des populations par l’accès à des services d’assainissement de qualité pour tous.
Dans le but d’atteindre son objectif de garantir un accès à l’assainissement adéquat et de qualité pour les populations, l’État et ses partenaires techniques et financiers ont consentir des efforts considérables dont la régulation du sous-secteur de l’assainissement autonome. En effet, au niveau national plus de 70% de la population a recours à ce système de gestion des boues de vidange. Cette situation se traduit par une production considérable de boues de vidange, dont la plus grande partie est collectée par des camions. L’activité de vidange représente donc un maillon clé de la chaîne de valeur de l’assainissement, elle lie les ouvrages d’assainissement domestiques aux stations de traitement de boues de vidange.
Les acteurs du secteur de la vidange font face à des défis techniques et organisationnel contribuant à l’accroissements des coûts d’exploitations, à la création de problèmes environnementaux et de santé publique. Malgré la prise en compte de la gestion des boues de vidange dans les textes juridiques régulant le secteur, la normalisation de l’activité de vidange n’est pas abordée.
Dans le but de réguler la filière des boues de vidange, le Ministère de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement, à travers l’ONAS a mis en place, avec l’appui financier de la Fondation Bill et Melinda Gates, un Programme pilote de Structuration du Marché des Boues de Vidange (PSMBV), afin d’offrir un cadre de vie décent aux ménages démunis en leur assurant l’accès à des installations d’assainissement et des services de vidange mécanique de meilleure qualité et à des prix abordables.
Le Ministère de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement à travers l’ONAS développe et met en œuvre des programmes d’assainissement collectif et autonome dans tout le pays, conformément à notre mandat de gestion optimale du secteur de l’assainissement liquide au Sénégal. La modernisation de la chaîne de valeur de l’assainissement autonome, à travers un ensemble d’actions concrètes s’inscrit dans les objectifs du PSMBV. La certification ou la licence de vidange fait partie des entreprises du Programme pour la règlementation du secteur. Cette démarche est indispensable pour l’organisation effective de l’activité de vidange mécanique ainsi que pour faciliter l’accès aux services de vidange des ménages les plus démunis. Pour les acteurs de l’assainissement, la licence permettrait résoudre les problématiques d’ordre technique, organisationnel et financier.
Le processus de certification se base sur une approche participative et inclusive associant l’ensemble des parties prenantes du secteur. Ce processus participatif et inclusif a conduit à la sensibilisation et l’engagement des acteurs à se conformer aux dispositions associées à la licence. Cela a également contribué au déclenchement processus d’introduction de la certification dans le corpus législatif sénégalais, avec la rédaction d’un Projet de Décret et sa soumission au Ministre de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement, Monsieur Serigne Mbaye THIAM.
Dans une perspective de consolider les résultats obtenus dans le cadre du processus de certification, le Ministère de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement souhaite organiser un atelier, le 15 octobre 2020, visant à présenter les orientations majeures du Projet de décret portant la licence des entreprises de vidange et à établir les prochaines étapes du processus.
Cet atelier vise à partager les étapes clés du processus ayant mené jusqu’à l’élaboration du Projet de Décret relatif aux conditions d’exercice de l’activité de vidange. En effet, le processus ayant débuté en 2014, il est essentiel pour le Ministère de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement que tous les acteurs clés du secteur, notamment les ministères sectoriels, les partenaires techniques et financiers, les organisations de la société civile et les médias aient accès à une plateforme de dialogue. Plus précisément, l’atelier a pour objectif le partage des grandes lignes du projet de décret ainsi que des prochaines étapes associées à la certification.
Depuis 2014, le Ministère de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement, ainsi qu’à travers l’Office National de l’Assainissement du Sénégal (ONAS) a mis en œuvre des initiatives visant à renforcer les capacités des acteurs de l’assainissement, spécialement par rapport au respect des mesures de sécurité et sur l’offre de service de qualité. Dans ce sens, un manuel du vidangeur a été développé et disséminé lors de plusieurs ateliers avec les acteurs.
À l’heure de la COVID-19, l’Afrique prend plus que jamais conscience de l’ampleur des améliorations à apporter au secteur de l’assainissement. Face à une pandémie où la meilleure façon d’enrayer la propagation de la maladie est le lavage fréquent des mains à l’eau et au savon, le continent africain se heurte à de nombreuses difficultés. Les statistiques montrent à quel point il existe une grande disparité entre ce qui est nécessaire et ce qui est réaliste. Selon la Banque africaine de développement, 400 millions d’Africains n’ont pas accès à l’eau salubre et près de 800 millions n’ont pas accès à des installations de base pour se laver les mains.
Seuls 28 % des 962 millions d’habitants de l’Afrique subsaharienne ont accès à des installations sanitaires de base, et selon une étude OMS/UNICEF 2017, 32 % pratiquent encore la défécation en plein air. Pour remédier à cette situation, des mesures radicales s’imposent, car les villes africaines sont de plus en plus peuplées, poussant les gens dans des bidonvilles de plus en plus vastes en raison de l’intensification de l’exode rural et de la croissance démographique rapide. La majorité des citadins africains vivent dans des quartiers informels et des bidonvilles dépourvus de services sanitaires de base.
Selon Aïda Kabo, responsable du programme d’assainissement de Speak up Africa, « le poids supplémentaire que la COVID-19 exerce sur le secteur de l’assainissement montre pourquoi le statu quo ne peut être maintenu. La COVID-19 met en relief pourquoi des politiques d’assainissement et d’hygiène globales et inclusives, soutenues par un financement durable, sont nécessaires pour améliorer l’accès de tous à un assainissement géré en toute sécurité et se préparer à répondre aux crises futures. » Tout au long de la chaîne de valeur de l’assainissement autonome, Aïda met en évidence les différentes façons dont la COVID-19 a mis en relief les points faibles. Lorsque les mesures de confinement ont été mises en place, la majorité des ménages qui n’avaient pas accès à l’eau courante se sont retrouvés dans une situation précaire. Ils ne pouvaient pas se rassembler à l’extérieur pour aller chercher de l’eau, alors que c’était de cette eau même dont ils avaient besoin pour se protéger de la pandémie, en se lavant fréquemment les mains à l’eau et au savon. La situation est tout aussi difficile pour les prestataires de services d’assainissement. À Dakar, par exemple, plus de 70 % de la population dépend d’un assainissement autonome et de la vidange mécanique de leurs fosses septiques. À cause des mesures de restriction, beaucoup de ces entreprises privées ont eu du mal à faire leur travail pendant les heures qui leur étaient allouées. Face à la diminution de leurs revenus, les ménages ont accordé une priorité beaucoup moins importante à la vidange de leurs fosses septiques, préférant utiliser le peu d’argent dont ils disposaient pour leurs besoins essentiels. Ces entreprises privées qui jouent un rôle important dans le secteur de l’assainissement ont du mal à s’en sortir financièrement.
Différents acteurs des secteurs privé et public ont redoublé d’efforts cette année pour combler les énormes lacunes en matière d’assainissement, rendues plus complexes par la pandémie. Par exemple, au cours de ces derniers mois, Speak Up Africa est à l’origine du lancement de Stay Safe Africa, une campagne qui rassemble des partenaires, des journalistes, des organisations de la société civile, des entreprises du secteur privé et des dirigeants politiques pour augmenter les investissements et sensibiliser le public à la COVID-19 sur le continent, tout en garantissant l’accès au traitement contre les autres menaces sanitaires existantes. En juin de cette année, Stay Safe Africa a distribué et installé 300 stations de lavage des mains dans des écoles sénégalaises, en partenariat avec le Programme alimentaire mondial, le Groupe des Amis de l’Alimentation Scolaire (GAASS) et le ministère de l’Éducation du Sénégal. Cette initiative avait pour but de soutenir le ministère de l’Éducation qui s’était donné pour mission de continuer à éduquer les élèves pendant la pandémie malgré les difficultés pratiques pour assurer leur sécurité.
Le secteur de l’assainissement est actuellement confronté à des difficultés en raison d’un manque de clarté dans les politiques d’assainissement, notamment en ce qui concerne les responsabilités institutionnelles, le financement et le recouvrement des coûts. En théorie, les pays africains disposent de politiques pour faire face à la situation, mais les réalités sur le terrain sont différentes. Si diverses déclarations ont été signées, dont la Déclaration de Ngor, énonçant des objectifs ambitieux d’amélioration de l’accès à l’assainissement pour tous, il reste encore des lacunes considérables à combler pour que cela devienne réalité. Pour combler ces lacunes, les Directives pour les politiques d’assainissement en Afrique (ASPG) sont en cours d’élaboration. Leur but est d’aider les États africains à créer un environnement favorable à l’accès universel à des installations sanitaires gérées en toute sécurité pour tous. Selon une étude du Conseil des ministres africains chargés de l’eau (AMCOW) sur les politiques d’assainissement dans 26 pays africains, 69 % de ces politiques sont encore basées sur les OMD, dont la date butoir était 2015. Les ASPG fournissent un cadre qui sera facilement appuyé et approuvé par les pays, car ceux-ci sont des acteurs de première ligne et des participants actifs dans l’élaboration d’un guide qui peut s’adapter à leurs réalités. Les Directives pour les politiques d’assainissement en Afrique expriment ce qu’est une politique d’assainissement idéale, et les pays pourront s’en servir comme référence pour élaborer des politiques d’assainissement inclusives et globales.
Ces efforts, parmi d’autres, ont été essentiels pour soutenir le secteur de l’assainissement, mais il reste beaucoup à faire à long terme pour renforcer ce secteur sur le continent. La COVID-19 a montré au continent l’importance d’investir dans le secteur de l’assainissement et de l’hygiène, non seulement en temps de crise, mais aussi en tout temps pour éviter de futures catastrophes.
Ciku Kimeria est consultante en communication chez Speak up Africa à Dakar, un groupe d’action politique et de plaidoyer qui dirige la Campagne Stay Safe Africa à travers le continent, en s’associant avec divers partenaires privés et publics pour donner à tous les citoyens les moyens de contribuer à limiter la propagation de la COVID-19.
Now, more than ever, in the times of COVID-19, Africa is coming to the realization of how much improvement is needed in the sanitation sector. When dealing with a pandemic where the best method of curbing the spread of the disease is frequent handwashing with soap and water, the continent faces a lot of struggles. Statistics show just what a great disparity exists between what is necessary and what is realistic. According to the African Development Bank, 400 million Africans lack access to safe water and nearly 800 million do not have access to basic handwashing facilities.
Only 28% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s 962 million inhabitants have access to basic sanitation, and 32% still practice open defecation according to a WHO/UNICEF 2017 study. This situation is not expected to get better without drastic action as Africa’s cities get more populated, pushing people into growing slums due to increased rural-urban migration and rapid population growth. Majority of Africa’s city-dwellers live in informal settlements and slums deprived of basic sanitation services.
According to Aïda Kabo, Speak Up Africa’s Sanitation Program Officer, “the added stress that COVID-19 has placed on the sanitation sector shows why the status quo cannot be maintained. COVID-19 highlights why comprehensive and inclusive sanitation and hygiene policies backed by sustained funding are needed to improve access to safely managed sanitation for all and prepare responses to future crises.” Across the full non sewered sanitation value chain, she highlights the various ways that COVID-19 has identified weak spots. When lockdown measures were put in place, majority of people without access to piped water in their homes found themselves in a precarious state. They would not be able to gather outdoors to fetch water, but this was the same water that they needed to use to protect themselves from the pandemic, with frequent handwashing with water and soap. When it comes to sanitation services providers, the situation is equally difficult. For example, in Dakar, more than 70% of the population rely on non-sewered sanitation and mechanical emptying of their septic tanks. With restrictions measures, a lot of these private companies were struggling to do their work during the allotted hours. As household incomes dip, paying for emptying services, becomes a much lower priority for households as they need to use the little they have for basic household essentials. These private companies that play an important role in the sanitation sector are struggling financially to stay afloat.
Different private and public sector players have ramped up their efforts this year to address the overwhelming gaps in sanitation – made more complicated by the pandemic. As an example, in the recent months, Speak Up Africa, spearheaded the formation of Stay Safe Africa, a campaign that brings together partners, journalists, civil society organizations, private-sector companies and political leaders to increase investments and awareness of COVID-19 on the continent while ensuring access and treatment from other ongoing health threats. In June of this year, Stay Safe Africa, in partnership with the World Food Programme, Le Groupe des Amis de l’Alimentation Scolaire (GAASS) and Senegal’s Ministry of Education distributed and installed 300 handwashing stations in Senegalese schools. This was done to support the Ministry of Education in its mandate to continue educating students during the pandemic while struggling with the practicalities of keeping them safe.
The sanitation sector currently faces challenges emerging from a lack of clarity in sanitation policies, including institutional responsibilities, financing and cost recovery. Theoretically, African countries have policies to address the situation, but the realities on the ground are different. While various declarations, including the Ngor Declaration have been signed with ambitious goals of increasing access to sanitation for all, a huge gap still exists in making this a reality. To fill these gaps, the Africa Sanitation Policy Guidelines (ASPG) are being developed to support African States in the creation of an enabling environment for universal access to safely managed sanitation for all. According to an African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) study of sanitation policies in 26 African countries, 69% of sanitation policies are still based on the MDGs, whose timeline ended in 2015. The ASPG provide a framework that will easily be endorsed and approved by countries as they are frontline actors and active participants in the development of a guide that can adapt to their realities. The Africa Sanitation Policy Guidelines express what an ideal sanitation policy is, and countries will be able to use it as reference to develop inclusive and comprehensive sanitation policies.
Such efforts among others have been essential in supporting the sanitation sector, but much more is needed in the long term to strengthen the sector on the continent. COVID-19 has shown the continent the important of investing in the sanitation and hygiene sector, not only in times of crisis, but at all times to avert future disasters.
Ciku Kimeria as a Communication Consultant at Speak Up Africa in Dakar , a policy and advocacy action tank heading the Stay Safe Africa Campaign across the continent, partnering with various private and public partners to empower all citizens to play their part in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
La nouvelle plateforme permet d’échanger des ressources et vise à renforcer la coopération et l’efficacité des actions sanitaires pour relever les défis du secteur WASH en Afrique.
L’Alliance CAPOOP (Communications, Advocacy & Policy Opportunities and Outreach for Poop), lance aujourd’hui une plateforme digitale collaborative dédiée au partage de connaissances et d’expertise sur l’eau, l’assainissement et l’hygiène (WASH) afin de rassembler les acteurs du secteur à l’échelle de l’Afrique. Cette nouvelle plateforme permettra aux membres et partenaires de partager des ressources et des bonnes pratiques, de consolider les connaissances et de présenter des solutions innovantes pour améliorer l’accès à l’assainissement pour tous sur le continent.
La plateforme fournit une gamme d’outils et de ressources sur mesure et facile à utiliser qui permettront de soutenir le travail de chercheurs, d’experts en communication et plaidoyer, en finance et des régulateurs sur l’assainissement, et en particulier des spécialistes sur les questions de gestion des boues de vidange et de l’assainissement autonome en Afrique.
Une personne sur trois vit encore aujourd’hui sans installations sanitaires adéquates en Afrique, ce chiffre atteignant même 75 % en Afrique de l’Ouest (OMS/UNICEF 2017). Pour que l’accès à un assainissement de qualité progresse sur le continent, le Conseil des ministres africains chargés de l’eau (AMCOW) et ses États membres mènent le processus de développement de Directives africaines pour l’élaboration de politiques d’assainissement (ASPG). Les ASPG ont été conçues pour assister les pays africains dans la mise à jour et le développement de leurs politiques d’assainissement afin qu’elles soient inclusives et répondent aux engagements internationaux tels que les Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD). Ces nouvelles directives permettront de garantir politiques d’assainissement idéales et inclusives sur l’ensemble du continent afin d’améliorer les conditions de vie des populations.
Yacine Djibo, Fondatrice et Directrice Exécutive de Speak Up Africa, déclare : « L’amélioration de l’accès à un assainissement et à une hygiène de qualité sur tout le continent est l’un des plus grands défis de l’Afrique, mais un défi que nous pouvons relever en travaillant ensemble. Grâce à cette nouvelle plateforme en ligne, nous pourrons partager nos connaissances et notre expertise, permettant ainsi aux membres de CAPOOP de mieux comprendre les obstacles et les opportunités liés à l’assainissement du continent. »
Dr Canisius Kanangire, Secrétaire Exécutif du Conseil des Ministres Africains chargés de l’Eau (AMCOW), ajoute : « Je suis ravi de voir le secteur WASH travailler ensemble de manière aussi collaborative. Le partage de nos ressources et connaissances ne fera que renforcer l’efficacité de nos efforts pour améliorer les conditions d’assainissement à travers l’Afrique. En plein déploiement des nouvelles Directives africaines pour l’élaboration de politiques d’assainissement, ce nouvel outil digital nous permettra de consolider nos partenariats et de trouver des partenaires partageant notre vision d’une Afrique plus saine. »
CAPOOP est une alliance d’organisations mobilisées pour assurer l’accès à un assainissement et à une hygiène équitables et de qualité pour tous et pour mettre fin à la défécation à l’air libre d’ici 2030, en accordant une attention particulière aux besoins des femmes, des jeunes filles et des personnes en situation de vulnérable.
Au début de cette année, l’Alliance CAPOOP a lancé sa toute première bourse des médias de l’assainissement. En marge du 20e congrès de l’AAE en février, huit journalistes venus de toute l’Afrique ont participé à un atelier de formation aux médias sur l’assainissement avant de documenter les principaux événements du congrès. Pendant un an, CAPOOP soutiendra ces boursiers, en les présentant à des acteurs clés du secteur et en renforçant leurs compétences journalistiques sur les questions d’assainissement en Afrique.
Notes aux rédacteurs
Pour accéder à la plateforme digitale CAPOOP, veuillez cliquer ici www.capoop.org/fr/