Mozambique is high priority for US water and sanitation assistance

Based on its challenges with water and sanitation, Mozambique has been named as a high-priority country for the Global Water Strategy by the US Government.

Carried out through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the global strategy will guide the Government of the Republic of Mozambique over the next five years to strengthen the capacity of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.

The water security, sanitation and hygiene needs in Mozambique are significant. In 2022, the World Health Organisation estimated that only 63% of the country’s population had access to basic water services. Alarmingly, only 38% of the population had access to basic sanitation facilities, with the national rate of open defecation sitting at a low 29%.

USAID Deputy Administrator, Isobel Coleman highlighted on a recent visit to the Nampula province of the country that the organisation is implementing WASH activities in close collaboration with the Mozambican government in Nampula, Zambezia and Cabo Delgado.

Coleman noted, “We believe that by working together, we can achieve our shared goal of providing safe water and sanitation for all Mozambicans.”

Improving livelihoods in Mozambique

The investments under the global water strategy will provide clean water and sanitation for at least 325,000 people. Thousands of families across northern Mozambique will be less susceptible to diseases and have an improved quality of life.

This work will also provide basic water and sanitation services for 90 schools and clinics. This will not only improve healthcare for Mozambican citizens at large, but will give thousands of Mozambican children access to water and toilets, promoting retention in school.

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It will strengthen the Mozambican water and sanitation institutions by developing and strengthening laws, policies and regulations while also improving the capacity of water service providers, regulators and local government officials.

Ultimately, USAID’s investments will mobilise additional private sector funding of up to $21 million for the WASH sector.

This water strategy signals a new era of collaboration and progress. In Mozambique, USAID is investing more than $100 million in WASH activities over the next four years.

Support for water, sanitation and hygiene is a critical component of the broader US Government assistance in Mozambique.

In close collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, the US Government provides more than $812m in annual assistance to improve the quality of healthcare and education to promote economic prosperity and stability to support the overall development of the nation.