by Kali Gwegwe

Created on: March 19, 2010   Last Updated: March 24, 2010

As important as issues bothering on citizens’ access to sanitation and safe drinking water is, governments in developing countries have failed to put in place practical policy framework that would address the rising cases of water-borne diseases that are currently ravaging most urban and rural communities. The situation is worse in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 80% of citizens reside in rural settlements. Citizens have been forced to accept the absence of sanitation and safe drinking water as part of their life style. For instance, most Nigerian residents were shocked when the international media paid so much attention to a visiting professional footballer, who developed malaria symptoms shortly after returning to Europe.    

As the world’s sixth largest producer of crude, oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta don't have access to safe drinking water and sanitation. This has contributed greatly to the increasing percentage of diseases and deaths among natives. Children between 0 and 7 years are worse hit.

Close observation of health policies in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa indicates that there is a gross misunderstanding of the important place of access to sanitation and safe drinking water in the overall health plan of modern societies. Owing to this disconnect, governments focuses on the building of new health care facilities; believing that it would meet the health need of the populace. Time has come for the authorities to pursue policy of “Prevention” as against “Cure.” It is a known fact that improved access to sanitation and safe drinking water in developed countries has significantly reduced cases of water-born diseases. In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria alone has killed more people than all other diseases put together.  

Apart from wrong policy thrust, one other major obstacle faced by governments in rural Africa as it concerns improving access to safe drinking water is poor town planning. For nearly ten years now, the Bayelsa State government’s plan to extend water lines to all part of Yenagoa metropolis has been stalled by the inability of engineers to lay pipes to the inner part of the metropolis. Houses are built too close to the road and this has made it practically impossible for contractors to find enough space to lay water pipes. Government at a time contemplated demolishing some houses to enable it gain enough space to lay water pipes but was

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