Buhari, world leaders seek action on water, sanitation

President Muhammadu Buhari, 11 African Heads of States of Governments and leaders from United Nations (UN) agencies have canvassed prioritisation of water, sanitation and hygiene in response to COVID-19. 

President Buhari, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, President Adama Barrow of The Gambia and President Abdel Fattah El Sisi of Egypt signed a joint statement on the ‘Global Call for Water.’
 
Others are Columbian President, Iván Duque Márquez, President Alexander Van Der Bellen of Austria and Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez in partnership with international financial institutions, civil society, private sector, as well as research and learning institutions, among others.

The call to action is being championed by Sanitation and Water for All global partnership, as a tool for partners and especially ministers of water, sanitation and hygiene.

It is also to advocate robust targeted financing for better and more equitable access to resilient and sustainable services, as well as systems that could support them during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

The objective is to attract attention at the highest political level to the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene, as the first line of defence against the spread of COVID-19 together with physical distancing.

It will equally be used to call upon leaders everywhere to provide water, sanitation and hygiene services to all without discrimination, ensure that systems supporting them were resilient and above all provide funds necessary to achieve the mandate in a sustainable way, among other objectives.