40% of households still without toilets

Namibia continues to face serious sanitation challenges, with 40% of the country’s households still practising open defecation, according to the 2023 Census Report released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).

Speaking on behalf of the minister of agriculture, water and land reform at the first National Sanitation Symposium, deputy minister Ruthy Masake says the situation remains most severe in rural areas and informal settlements. In the Zambezi region alone, 77.5% of households still lack access to proper sanitation facilities.

“Although the country has made significant strides in the supply of potable water to households, the same cannot be said about sanitation. The NSA’s 2023 census report indicates that 40% of 756 339 households nationally are practising open defecation. In the Zambezi region, 28 909 households out of 37 296, are practising open defecation,” she said.

Masake emphasised the need for greater investment in sanitation infrastructure and increased public education on hygiene, noting that a paradigm shift was required to raise awareness across all levels of society.

She added that the country’s existing policy and strategic frameworks, including the Water and Sanitation Sector Policy of 2008 and the National Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy (2022-2027), provide a solid foundation for coordinated national action.

“As we work hard to deliver on our sanitation programmes, we must ensure that the entire process of safely managing human waste, from containment, such as toilets, to final safe disposal or beneficial reuse of treated by-products, is fully addressed.

This is essential for public health, environmental protection, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene,” she says.

The deputy minister reiterates that access to sanitation is not a privilege but a fundamental human right, central to Namibia’s social and economic development.

She stresses that improving sanitation is vital to protecting public health, safeguarding the environment, and meeting United Nations SDG 6.2, which calls for universal access to basic toilets and the elimination of open defecation.

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