More than 400 million people in Africa lack access to basic drinking water services, Claver Gatete, a senior United Nations official, has said.
Speaking at the opening of the 49th session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU), Gatete noted that more than 700 million Africans also lack access to safely managed sanitation services, Caliber.Az reports, citing United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
"Today, more than 400 million Africans still lack access to basic drinking water, while over 700 million people remain without safely managed sanitation. These deficits undermine health, productivity, food security and human dignity, while slowing progress towards Agenda 2063," Gatete added.
According to him, water shortages and inadequate sanitation are undermining public health, labour productivity, food security, and overall quality of life across the continent.
In this context, he urged African countries to move away from fragmented planning in the areas of water management, agriculture, energy, climate action, and urban development, stressing that these sectors are closely interconnected and that policies in one area should take into account their impact on the others.
By Bakhtiyar Abbasov
