A new report reveals that only few African Union member States may achieve universal access to safely managed drinking water, safely managed sanitation or basic hygiene services by 2030 if the current rates of progress continue.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) and World Health Organisation (WHO) special report focused on Africa shows that a “dramatic acceleration” is required if the continent hopes to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets on water, sanitation and hygiene.

The report indicates that a 12-fold increase in the current rates of progress on safely managed drinking water, a 20-fold increase for safely managed sanitation and a 42-fold increase for basic hygiene services is required to achieve the SDG targets in Africa.

Across Africa, where the population grew from 800-million in 2000 to 1.3-billion in 2020, about 500-million people have gained access to basic drinking water and 290-million to basic sanitation services.

However, the WHO/Unicef Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene special report reveals that 418-million people still lack access to even a basic level of drinking water service, 779-million lack access to basic sanitation services and 839-million still lack access to basic hygiene services.

Inequalities Further, significant inequalities persist within countries, between urban and rural regions, between subnational regions and between the richest and the poorest.

In urban areas, two out of five people lack access to safely managed drinking water, two out of three people lack access to safely managed sanitation and half the population lacks access to basic hygiene services, the report explains.

In rural areas, four out of five people lack access to safely managed drinking water, while three out of four people lack access to safely managed sanitation, and seven out of ten lack basic hygiene services.

The special report calls for urgent action to be taken on the continent, where water scarcity and weak sanitation and hygiene services can threaten peace and development.

“In a time when water scarcity fuels conflicts and water points are targeted, Unicef calls for urgent actions. We need water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, especially for girls who may miss school because there are no toilets or because they have to fetch water,” says Unicef West and Central Africa regional director Marie-Pierre Poirier.

In addition, as climate change puts additional pressure on resources, there is a need for climate risk-sensitive and resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services for children and their communities urgently.

“Equitable access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is not only the foundation of health and development for children and communities. “Water is life, water is development, water is peace,” she says.

Unicef works in more than 100 countries to help provide access to safe water and reliable sanitation and to promote basic hygiene practices in rural and urban areas, including in emergency situations.