ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Only four African nations have their sanitation on track, it was revealed at the Third African Conference on Hygiene and Sanitation in Rwanda.

More than 800 delegates and 35 African ministers attended the AfricaSan3 conference, which aims to improve sanitation and hygiene and prevent illnesses such as diarrhoea.

Officials highlighted the fact that most African countries are not on track to meet their sanitation targets with the exception of Angola, Botswana, Rwanda and South Africa.

Key resolutions from the conference included ministers of health from 60 countries pledging to wash their hands with soap and to enroll more partners to pass on the message. Awards were given out to nations and individuals deemed to have made outstanding efforts in sanitation resulting in large-scale, sustainable behaviour changes.

The Rwanda Environment Care received the Utilities award for raising the bar on service delivery of sanitation services, while the Mayor of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso received the local government award for implementing clear sanitation policies that have contributed to hygiene improvements.

Kenya received a 'hand washing champion award' for its efforts to improve hand hygiene throughout the country. Last year Kenya earned a place in the Guinness World Records for the most people washing their hands in one location. The event took place at a primary school and was supported by various organisations including Unilever and Lifebuoy.