MONROVIA: Compassion for Humanity Liberia (C4H) ahead of an array of WASH CSOs has called on the national government to increase financing in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector to improve public health and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2 by 2030.
C4H Liberia emphasized the need to revisit and increase the trend of allocation for WASH sector-related funding under the Public Sector Investment Plan (PSIP), as done in the Fiscal Year 2023, 2024, and 2025 budgets.
This adjustment aims to better support public facilities, including schools, markets, hospitals, clinics, stadiums, and other recreational centers.
Coordinating advocacy action of WASH CSO Actors for public policy action to ring-fence financial resources for the sector.
C4H Liberia and CSO partners urge the government to legislate new financial instruments, such as hypothecated and diaspora taxes regimes on sector industrial products.
These measures are aim at creating sustainable funding pool for WASH projects directly targeting reduction of open defecation.
The CSOs recommend that the government appropriate at least 0.2% of the national budget, starting from the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to support sanitation initiatives.
This commitment is seen as a significant step toward achieving SDG Goal 6.2, (By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all.
It will also end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations).
The CSOs, conscious of the social, health and economic danger of poor sanitation practices especially open defecation characterized by perennial outbreak of air and water-borne diseases in the country, call on government to support the production and affordability of Quee Toilet (sato).
Quee Toilet otherwise known as ‘sato’ is a toilet facility being introduced in the country by the USAID Funded countywide sanitation Activity.
In so doing, the government should engage rubber processing companies to allocate a portion of their social corporate responsibility toward this initiative to reduce the impact of open defecation throughout the country.
The CSOs further recommend that government should review the statutory mandates of all WASH-related public agencies, including the Ministry of Public Works (MWP), Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Ministry of Education (MoE), Ministry of Health (MoH), the National WASH Commission (NWASHC), and others as a means of mitigation fragmentation in the sector.
The group further calls for the establishment of a Ministry of Water and Environment to take responsibility for the WASH Sector.
In light of the widespread practice of open defecation, WASH CSOs urged the government to declare it a national emergency.
Proposed administrative actions include imposing fines on individuals, households, or communities engaging in poor hygiene and sanitation practices in keeping with article 18.2b of the public health law of Liberia.
It further reminded the government, and call for the endorsement of the open Defecation Free Roadmap, (ODF).
C4H Liberia reiterated its commendation to the Boakai Administration for making sanitation a standalone pillar in the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, (AAID).
About Compassion for Humanity Liberia (C4H)
Compassion for Humanity Liberia is a leading advocacy group dedicated to improving access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services across Liberia. The organization works closely with stakeholders to promote sustainable policies and initiatives that prioritize public health and environmental sustainability.
