Many areas of the Caribbean, both urban and rural, still do not have access to proper sanitation facilities, and sustained policies must be developed to address the issue.

While more developed countries like the Bahamas, Barbados, and the British Virgin Islands, have near 100 per cent access to potable water and sanitation services and facilities, other countries in the English-speaking Caribbean still have large sections of their populations living in slums and rural areas and without access to these essential services.

Linnette Vassell of Jamaica’s Ministry of Water, confirmed that efforts to develop a regional programme of action through a recent Caribbean Sanitation Assessment have highlighted a wide disparity among the Caribbean countries. Vassel said that during the Assessment stakeholders called for improved indicators for the region.

Contact: The Barbados Advocate, advocate@sunbeach.net

Source: Nicholas Cox, The Barbados Advocate, 22 Jul 2008

Tags: latin america & caribbean, sanitation