The Bouaké and Katiola Regional Hospital sites are making important contributions to Target 6.1 of sustainable Development Goal 6. SDG 6 is ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’, aiming to “Ensure access to water and sanitation for all”. Within SDG 6, Target 6.1 aims to “By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all” (Source: UN).
Not all communities in central and northern Côte d’Ivoire are connected to the national mains water company (SODECI) due to lack of availability in the area and affordability concerns. At the Bouaké and Katiola hospital sites, access to clean water is being provided free of charge, through a community tap installed just outside the site, which is connected to the site borehole.
In Côte d’Ivoire, 29% of the population lack access to basic drinking water services (Source: World Bank, 2020). By providing community access to these basic water services, both project sites are contributing to the aims of SDG 6, as well as, supporting the Government’s target of reaching a 100% access rate to drinking water by 2030 (Source: Government of Cote d’Ivoire, 2019). Furthermore, given that women and girls are responsible for water collection in 80% of households without access to water on their premises, these taps are also a small contribution to the lived realities of women and girls in the communities surrounding the sites.
