To mark the midpoint in the agreed timescale for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), WaterAid has launched a report [1] asking donors to balance their investments more evenly across the essential services: health, education, water and sanitation. WaterAid says that progress towards meeting the MDGs is being held back because donors prefer to support 'global causes' rather than the development priorities of recipient countries. “Access to clean water is usually the first priority for the poor, but since 1990, aid spending on water has remained stagnant whilst spending on health and education has doubled”, WaterAid adds.

[1] WaterAid (2007). ‘Global cause’ and effect : how the aid system is undermining the Millennium Development Goals. London, UK, WaterAid. PDF file [347 KB]

Related news: Africa: region lacks the capacity to meet the water and sanitation MDGs, Source Weekly, 4 Dec 2006

Contact: Charlotte Godber, WaterAid, UK, charlottegodber@wateraid.org

Source: WaterAid, 2 Jul 2007

Tags: policies & legislation