World to miss MDG target on water and sanitation -Report

Some 2.4 billion people, representing one-third of the world’s population will remain without access to improved sanitation in 2015, according to a joint WHO/UNICEF report.

The report, entitled “Progress on sanitation and drinking-water 2013 update”, warns that, at the current rate of progress, the 2015 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halving the proportion of the 1990 population without sanitation will be missed by 8% or half a billion people.

While UNICEF and WHO announced last year that the MDG drinking water target had been met and surpassed by 2010, the challenge to improve sanitation and reach those in need has led to a consolidated call for action to accelerate progress.

WHO Director for Public Health and Environment, Dr Maria Neira noted that, “There is an urgent need to ensure all the necessary pieces are in place – political commitment, funding, and leadership – so the world can accelerate progress and reach the Millennium Development Goal sanitation target.”

“The world can turn around and transform the lives of millions that still do not have access to basic sanitation. The rewards would be immense for health, ending poverty at its source, and well-being,” she added.

The report echoes the urgent call to action by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson for the world community to combine efforts and end open defecation by 2025. With less than three years to reach the MDG deadline WHO and UNICEF call for a final push to meet the sanitation target.

Global head of UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme, Sanjay Wijesekera said, "This is an emergency no less horrifying than a massive earthquake or tsunami. Every day hundreds of children are dying; every day thousands of parents mourn their sons and daughters. We can and must act in the face of this colossal daily human tragedy.”

Among the key findings from the latest 2011 data, the report highlighted that almost two-thirds (64%) of the world’s population had access to improved sanitation facilities, an increase of almost 1.9 billion people since 1990.

According to the report, approximately 2.5 billion people lacked access to an improved sanitation facility. Of these, 761 million use public or shared sanitation facilities and 693 million use facilities that do not meet minimum standards of hygiene.

The report also noted that in 2011, one billion people still defecated in the open and that 90% of all open defecation took place in rural areas.

It also highlighted that by the end of 2011, 89% of the world population used an improved drinking-water source, and 55% had a piped supply on premises. This left an estimated 768 million people without improved sources for drinking water, of whom 185 million relied on surface water for their daily needs.

Furthermore, the WHO/UNICEF report states that there continues to be a striking disparity between those living in rural areas and those who live in cities with urban dwellers making up three-quarters of those with access to piped water supplies at home, while rural communities comprised 83% of the global population without access to improved drinking water source and 71 per cent of those living without sanitation.

Irrespective of the findings, the two organisations noted that faster progress on sanitation is possible if nations shared in the vision of the WASH sector.