African leaders told to improve sanitation, provide clean water
Jul 18, 2010
AFRICAN leaders have been urged to address issues relating to sanitation and water as one of the major components in reducing maternal and infant mortality in the continent.
By Charles Ariko
AFRICAN leaders have been urged to address issues relating to sanitation and water as one of the major components in reducing maternal and infant mortality in the continent.
Yunia Musaazi, the East African policy advisor for Water Aid, said for African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it was important to prevent deaths resulting from diarrhoea, which is the biggest killer of children in Africa.
“Everyday, 2,000 African children die from diarrhoea. These deaths are preventable by providing safe water and maintaining sanitation,†Musaazi said.
She was speaking as one of the panelists drawn from civil society organisations across Africa to demand better health services from leaders ahead of the African Heads of State summit scheduled for July 25 to 27.
The theme of this year’s summit is how to make rapid progress in addressing the MDGs that deal with the survival of mothers, infants and children.
Musaazi explained that with good sanitation and safe water, the lives of mothers and their children could significantly be addressed, thereby reducing the number of deaths from unsafe water and poor sanitation.
“An expectant mother needs to deliver from a clean environment. Even after leaving the health centre, she needs to live in a clean environment with clean water for her and the newborn baby,†Musaazi said.
She said a recent study by the World Health Organisation estimates that 28% of child deaths were caused by poor sanitation and lack of access to clean water.
“Sanitation and safe water could prevent nine out of 10 cases of diarrhoea. Using toilets can reduce incidences of diarrhoea by nearly 40%.
Safe sanitation also reduces other leading causes of child deaths, such as under-nutrition and pneumonia,†Musaazi said.
Solome Kimbugwe Nakaweesi, the executive director of Akina Mama Wa Africa, asked African leaders to honour their commitment of allocating 15% of their national budgets to the health sector as agreed in the Abuja declaration.
Nakaweesi said there were many African countries, including Uganda, that had not implemented the Abuja declaration.
She said Uganda was among the African countries that were failing to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
AFRICAN leaders have been urged to address issues relating to sanitation and water as one of the major components in reducing maternal and infant mortality in the continent.
Yunia Musaazi, the East African policy advisor for Water Aid, said for African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it was important to prevent deaths resulting from diarrhoea, which is the biggest killer of children in Africa.
“Everyday, 2,000 African children die from diarrhoea. These deaths are preventable by providing safe water and maintaining sanitation,†Musaazi said.
She was speaking as one of the panelists drawn from civil society organisations across Africa to demand better health services from leaders ahead of the African Heads of State summit scheduled for July 25 to 27.
The theme of this year’s summit is how to make rapid progress in addressing the MDGs that deal with the survival of mothers, infants and children.
Musaazi explained that with good sanitation and safe water, the lives of mothers and their children could significantly be addressed, thereby reducing the number of deaths from unsafe water and poor sanitation.
“An expectant mother needs to deliver from a clean environment. Even after leaving the health centre, she needs to live in a clean environment with clean water for her and the newborn baby,†Musaazi said.
She said a recent study by the World Health Organisation estimates that 28% of child deaths were caused by poor sanitation and lack of access to clean water.
“Sanitation and safe water could prevent nine out of 10 cases of diarrhoea. Using toilets can reduce incidences of diarrhoea by nearly 40%.
Safe sanitation also reduces other leading causes of child deaths, such as under-nutrition and pneumonia,†Musaazi said.
Solome Kimbugwe Nakaweesi, the executive director of Akina Mama Wa Africa, asked African leaders to honour their commitment of allocating 15% of their national budgets to the health sector as agreed in the Abuja declaration.
Nakaweesi said there were many African countries, including Uganda, that had not implemented the Abuja declaration.
She said Uganda was among the African countries that were failing to reduce maternal and infant mortality.