Challenges facing sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene achievement in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT

Better water supply, sanitation and hygiene systems are among the sustainable development goals which need to be achieved by 2030. However, it is challenging for developing countries especially sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sustainable sanitation and hygiene. Thus, a systematic review has been conducted to provide a deep discussion of the current and previous works on challenges facing sanitation and hygiene sector in SSA countries. The results indicate that lack of financial resources, rapid population increase, socioeconomic disparities among the urban inhabitants, topography, lack of skilled, and experienced personnel, inadequate policies and strategies, and people’s behaviours and attitudes were identified as the main constraints to sustainable sanitation and hygiene in SSA. Moreover, it recommended that SSA countries can achieve sustainable sanitation and hygiene if there are political commitments, an increase of education and awareness on sanitation to the community, and cooperation among the government, non-government organisations, civil societies, and communities in addressing the issues of sanitation. These efforts will lead to enhanced and improved sanitation and hygiene services in the SSA region.

KEYWORDS:

• Informal settlements
• sub-Saharan Africa
• sustainable development goals
• sustainable sanitation and hygiene

Acknowledgements

The author thanks African Union and Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI) for the award of PhD admission; and the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania for granting study leave. Moreover, the author thanks Ms Witness Gerald Mushi for her support in writing this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).