WSS services are key to economic growth and sustainable jobs, but Zambia’s access to WSS has remained almost stagnant over the last 15 years. In 2023, approximately 68 percent of the total population had access to basic water supply, and about 36 percent had access to basic sanitation. Conservative estimates suggest that Zambia loses US$194 million every year because of poor sanitation, a loss equivalent to 1.3 percent of the country’s GDP annually. Gains in access are struggling to keep pace with population growth. Even where there is access, the quality of service is poor, especially in rural, small towns and peri-urban areas. Households receive an average of 16 hours of water supply per day, and 6% of water samples in urban areas fail bacteriological tests. These shortfalls have led to health hazards such as cholera outbreaks, between October 2017 and May 2018, with the current outbreak beginning in October 2023. Diarrhoea, resulting from inadequate access to WSS and hygiene is the second leading cause of death of children under five in Zambia (averaging 10% of all deaths) and contributes significantly to stunting. Read more here http://www.mwds.gov.zm/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ESSA-MWDS-World-Bank.pdf
