My View: WaterAid's Campaign to Invest In Water and Sanitation

Thanks to everyone who got in touch about the recent WaterAid event in Parliament. It is unacceptable that approximately 2.2 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, while 3.4 billion are without safely managed sanitation and 1.7 billion lack basic hygiene services at home. I know that global health is an international development priority for our Government, and I welcome that improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), is a key part of this agenda.

For example, our Government’s Healthy Women, Children and Newborns multisectoral approach aims to help end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths. It does so by strengthening health systems and promoting improved WASH. The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Systems for Health programme works to enhance the sustainability of WASH services and ensure women are empowered to take informed decisions about the services they receive.

Overseas Development Assistance is only one element of the UK’s approach. It is also important to support global knowledge, evidence and expertise sharing. The UK does this through participation in the Heads of State Initiatives, a global initiative that encourages Heads of State or Government to champion WASH, making firm commitments to strengthen governance, secure new finance, and accelerate progress. Additionally, the UK’s Enhanced Water Leadership in a Changing Climate programme raises the profile of WASH with a focus on national leadership, sector governance and finance. It also supports the generation of critical data that is needed to establish effective strategies and plans.

More widely, I support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. As you may know, Sustainable Development Goal 6 is on clean water and sanitation, including to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, while paying special attention to the needs of women and girls. I believe that aid alone has never been enough to meet these vital Goals, which is why I welcome our Government’s push for tangible action on global finance system reform, including UK-led initiatives to unlock more private capital.