Pathways to progress : transitioning to country-led service delivery pathways to meet Africa's water supply and sanitation targets : AMCOW country status overviews regional synthesis report

This report is the regional synthesis of the 32 country status overviews (CSOs) which collectively account for 95 percent of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and over 90 percent of GDP. It highlights the most important trends, challenges, and proposed actions for achieving improved water supply and sanitation (WSS) services across Sub-Saharan Africa. Improvements in access to water supply and sanitation contribute to the Millennium Development Goals on environment, health, education, food security, gender equality, and poverty alleviation. Access to water supply and sanitation directly impacts labour productivity, illness, school attendance, and women’s personal security and has notable economic benefits. For these reasons, the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) commissioned the production of a second round of CSOs on water supply and sanitation, to throw light on the political, institutional, and financial factors which underpin progress in the sector. The World Bank, Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), and the African Development Bank implemented this task in close partnership with UNICEF, WHO, and the governments of 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The regional synthesis report demonstrates the extent to which three factors—political stability, sector leadership, and aid modalities—underpin progress in water supply and sanitation (WSS).