Three things government can do to address sanitation backlogs and save lives
For a variety of reasons, rural municipalities are not getting this right — and national government can help to change that, writes Sabelo Mtantato
Backlogs in providing adequate sanitation infrastructure and services are a problem across the country, but more so in rural areas than in cities. The national sanitation infrastructure backlog has declined — 47% of people lacked access to adequate sanitation in 1996, and this fell to 31% in 2014 — but most rural municipalities still have high levels of sanitation backlogs. Adequate sanitation infrastructure and services are important for people’s health and dignity. Improving sanitation infrastructure and services, and educating households on the importance of good sanitation practices, reduces the risk of infection from excreta-related diseases, especially for children under the age of five. This age group is the most vulnerable to excreta-related diseases including diarrhoea. Globally, access to adequate sanitation infrastructure has improved, from 54% in 1990 to 77% in 2015. But rural access in 2015 was stuck at 51% compared with urban access of 82%. SA follows the international...
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