As African leaders prepare for the upcoming Heads of State and Government Summit of the African Union, international WASH advocacy organisation WaterAid is calling for bold, measurable and well-financed commitments to transform water, sanitation and hygiene services across the continent.
At the centre of WaterAid’s recommendations is a demand for African governments to progressively allocate at least five percent of national budgets to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), with dedicated sanitation and hygiene budget lines reaching a minimum of 0.5 percent of GDP in line with previous AU declarations.
The organisation says that without clear domestic financing targets, the declaration of 2026 as Africa’s Year of Water and Sanitation will fall short of delivering real change for the hundreds of millions of Africans still living without basic services.
WaterAid is also urging the AU Commission to formally elevate and strengthen the Africa Water Vision 2063, positioning WASH as a head-of-state priority linked directly to health security, climate resilience and economic transformation under Agenda 2063.
According to the organisation, this political elevation is critical to unlocking sustained national investment and ensuring that WASH is treated as essential infrastructure rather than a social afterthought.
Another key recommendation is the development of costed, cabinet-endorsed national roadmaps for WASH in healthcare facilities, backed by ring-fenced funding. WaterAid argues that hospitals and clinics must have reliable water, safe sanitation and functional hand hygiene facilities if Africa is to reduce preventable infections, maternal and newborn deaths, and healthcare-associated illnesses.
To strengthen accountability, WaterAid is calling for the institutionalisation of National WASH Accounts in all AU Member States. These would provide clear budget lines, track spending and results, and enable parliaments, civil society and citizens to monitor whether governments are meeting their commitments.
The organisation is also pressing governments to integrate WASH more strongly into climate policies, including Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans, recognising that climate-resilient water and sanitation systems are among the most cost-effective tools for protecting communities from droughts, floods and disease outbreaks.
In addition, WaterAid wants African leaders to ensure high-level participation in the United Nations Water Conference scheduled for December 2026, using the platform to mobilise global financing, partnerships and political momentum behind Africa’s WASH agenda.
WaterAid maintains that Africa does not lack policies, strategies or technical solutions. Instead, the organisation says, the decisive factor is whether leaders are willing to match commitments with sustained financing, strong institutions and top-level political leadership.
“The AU Year of Water must become a year of delivery,” WaterAid stresses, describing the moment as a rare opportunity for presidents and heads of government to demonstrate leadership by putting money, plans and accountability systems behind Africa’s water and sanitation promises.
WaterAid Urges Five Percent WASH Budgets
AU Pressed to Elevate Water Priority
Leaders Told: Fund WASH, Save Lives
As African leaders prepare for the upcoming Heads of State and Government Summit of the African Union, international WASH advocacy organisation WaterAid is calling for bold, measurable and well-financed commitments to transform water, sanitation and hygiene services across the continent.
At the centre of WaterAid’s recommendations is a demand for African governments to progressively allocate at least five percent of national budgets to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), with dedicated sanitation and hygiene budget lines reaching a minimum of 0.5 percent of GDP in line with previous AU declarations.
The organisation says that without clear domestic financing targets, the declaration of 2026 as Africa’s Year of Water and Sanitation will fall short of delivering real change for the hundreds of millions of Africans still living without basic services.
WaterAid is also urging the AU Commission to formally elevate and strengthen the Africa Water Vision 2063, positioning WASH as a head-of-state priority linked directly to health security, climate resilience and economic transformation under Agenda 2063.
According to the organisation, this political elevation is critical to unlocking sustained national investment and ensuring that WASH is treated as essential infrastructure rather than a social afterthought.
Another key recommendation is the development of costed, cabinet-endorsed national roadmaps for WASH in healthcare facilities, backed by ring-fenced funding. WaterAid argues that hospitals and clinics must have reliable water, safe sanitation and functional hand hygiene facilities if Africa is to reduce preventable infections, maternal and newborn deaths, and healthcare-associated illnesses.
To strengthen accountability, WaterAid is calling for the institutionalisation of National WASH Accounts in all AU Member States. These would provide clear budget lines, track spending and results, and enable parliaments, civil society and citizens to monitor whether governments are meeting their commitments.
The organisation is also pressing governments to integrate WASH more strongly into climate policies, including Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans, recognising that climate-resilient water and sanitation systems are among the most cost-effective tools for protecting communities from droughts, floods and disease outbreaks.
In addition, WaterAid wants African leaders to ensure high-level participation in the United Nations Water Conference scheduled for December 2026, using the platform to mobilise global financing, partnerships and political momentum behind Africa’s WASH agenda.
WaterAid maintains that Africa does not lack policies, strategies or technical solutions. Instead, the organisation says, the decisive factor is whether leaders are willing to match commitments with sustained financing, strong institutions and top-level political leadership.
“The AU Year of Water must become a year of delivery,” WaterAid stresses, describing the moment as a rare opportunity for presidents and heads of government to demonstrate leadership by putting money, plans and accountability systems behind Africa’s water and sanitation promises.
