SOUBGA: The government of Burkina Faso has launched a nationwide campaign titled “Safely Managed Sanitation” to address sanitation challenges and improve access to sanitation services across the country. The initiative, officially inaugurated in Soubga, Kourittenga province, is aimed at elevating the national access rate to sanitation from 28% in 2023 to 80% by 2030. The campaign, sponsored by Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem of Tambela, highlights the critical link between sanitation, public health, economic growth, and environmental preservation.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the ceremony featured remarks from Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, Minister of State, Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, who emphasized the importance of universal access to sustainable sanitation for wastewater and excreta. The campaign will facilitate targeted actions, including the construction of sanitation infrastructure, management of wastewater, and innovative approaches for social and b
ehavioral change. These efforts are expected to support the resettlement and recovery of internally displaced persons in their original communities.
Minister Ouédraogo outlined several key measures to be implemented as part of the campaign. These include the construction of 15 additional faecal sludge treatment plants, increasing the total to 20, and equipping all institutional and public spaces, such as schools and health centers, with sanitation facilities. The campaign also aims to develop a mechanism for the effective management, treatment, and use of faecal sludge. Furthermore, the initiative will strengthen the capacities of 500 associations and 6,000 sanitation professionals, including masons, plumbers, and latrine managers.
Roger Barro, Minister of the Environment, Water and Sanitation, underscored the campaign’s goal to raise awareness among stakeholders, particularly in the private sector. He stressed the necessity of equipping commercial infrastructures, schools, and homes with proper sanitation
services. The state will also oversee sewage sludge treatment plant operations, ensuring timely progress and direction.
Alain Joseph Tokam Mambou, leader of the Technical and Financial Partners, highlighted the anticipated benefits of adopting a safe sanitation approach. These include improved public health through a cleaner environment, job creation via private sector development, and addressing energy and agricultural fertilizer needs. Aïchata Oubda, representing the ceremony’s patron, reiterated the fundamental right to water and quality sanitation as a pillar of human development and public health, urging private sector participation in addressing sanitation responsibilities.
Source: Burkina Information Agency
