Poor coordination of issues relating to sanitation at the organizational and governmental levels is one of the main constraints to meet the MDG for water and sanitation, says Kordje Bedoumra, Director of the AfricanWater Facility while presenting the findings of the study by the African Ministers’ Council on Water entitled ‘Can Africa Afford to Miss the Sanitation MDG Target?’ The management of sanitation is usually split between water, health and education ministries, making proper coordination difficult.

Other constraints on the attainment of the MDGs according to Bedoumra are: lack of funding available at the local authorities; inadequate sanitation education; rapid urbanization; population growth; the proliferation of informal settlements; and extreme poverty on the continent.

Bedoumra emphasizes that sanitation is still being considered as a low priority not only for households, but also for local, national and regional governments and this is reflected in inadequate budget allocations. Meanwhile, strategies for the sector are largely ‘left on paper’ while the provision of trained personnel and evaluation of projects remain poor.

He urges African governments and their development partners to make the issue of sanitation a priority.

Web site:

• African Water Facility
• AfricaSan 2008 web site

Source: AfDB, 19 Feb 2008