WINDHOEK, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Namibia on Monday launched a five-year National Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy, aiming to end open defecation and ensure every household has access to dignified and climate-resilient sanitation facilities by 2027.
Speaking at the launch during the first National Sanitation Symposium in Katima Mulilo, capital of the Zambezi Region, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani said the government views access to sanitation as a fundamental human right and a pillar of national development.
Access to sanitation is not a privilege but a fundamental human right, Zaamwani said, adding that it contributes to public health, environmental protection and economic growth.
She said the new sanitation strategy provides a framework for improving hygiene and waste management services nationwide, aligning with the country's Water Resources Management Act of 2013 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 on clean water and sanitation for all.
The National Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy (2022-2027), approved by the Cabinet in 2022, focuses on promoting community-led and school-led sanitation programs, strengthening local partnerships, and expanding public awareness on hygiene practices.
According to the Namibia Statistics Agency, about 40 percent of the country's 756,000 households still practice open defecation, mainly in informal settlements and rural areas. In the Zambezi Region, the rate stands at 77.5 percent.
Zaamwani called on ministries, regional and local authorities, private sector partners and development agencies to accelerate sanitation projects and investments, noting that greater coordination and education are key to changing hygiene behaviors.
The new strategy seeks to mobilize public and private resources, promote job creation through youth employment models, and support climate-resilient sanitation solutions to improve the health and well-being of all Namibians, Zaamwani said. ■
