Mozambique is a nation rich in natural resources and a strong cultural heritage. But it also faces many challenges in public health and infrastructure. Among such hurdles is the one related to sanitation infrastructure, which directly addresses the questions of health and well-being for millions of Mozambicans. Investment in this will not only be in the best interest of public health but also in long-term economic growth. The following article discusses sanitation conditions in Mozambique, the economic and health implications of poor sanitation, and the potential benefits of strategic financing for this critical infrastructure.

Very underdeveloped sanitation infrastructure characterises Mozambique, including a large part of the urban/rural distribution, with inequalities. In 2023, roughly 28 percent of Mozambique’s population had access to improved sanitation. These facilities hygienically separate human excreta from human contact. 

Access to improved sanitation is considerably lower in rural areas, at 14 percent. In comparison, the situation in urban areas is somewhat better, with approximately 42% of residents having access to improved facilities. However, even in urban centres, sanitation infrastructure is inadequate, leading to frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

Poor tourism waste management systems are still compounded by poor sanitation facilities. Indeed, in most parts of this country, Mozambique is discharging untreated sewage into rivers and the ocean, contaminating water sources, and consequently raising the burden of cholera, diarrhoea, and dysentery. The WHO has identified Mozambique as one of the countries most at risk of cholera outbreaks, particularly during the rainy season, when flooding increases transmission.

Poor sanitation in Mozambique has a significant economic and health impact. “Poor conditions attributed to sanitation cause Mozambique about $124 million a year, or some 1.2% of the GDP,” says the World Bank report. Such costs are reached in healthcare expenses and lost productivity, leading to premature death, especially those of children under five, who are the most vulnerable to sanitation effects.

Health Impacts:

Mozambique ranks among the most disadvantaged in the world for the diseases of diarrhoea, with such diseases accounting for around 17 percent of the deaths of children under five years. Issues related to clean water and sanitation are found wanting. Besides, the enteropathogen in the diarrhoeal disease causes malnutrition and retarded growth of the children, thus becoming the starting point for future poverty setbacks and poor health.

Economic Effects

• The economic cost of poor sanitation is evident outside the health sector. People are losing productive time and health through poor sanitation—mainly women and children—by spending much time fetching water and recovering from disease.

• The World Bank estimates that poor sanitation in Mozambique would result in more than 3.5 million lost productive days per year. Additionally, the tourism industry, a potential source of economic growth, is negatively affected by poor sanitation, as international tourists are deterred by the risk of disease and the lack of adequate facilities.

Educational Effects:

• Adequate sanitation also affects education. Poor sanitation in schools contributes to a high dropout rate, particularly among girls. Schools that lack proper sanitation, for instance, have often been said to increase the probability of girls staying away from school when they are menstruating, adversely affecting their attendance and performance in school, according to UNICEF. The infrastructure of sanitation at school, therefore, deserves more investment, not simply for the public health cause but also because of gender equality and educational purposes.

Investing in sanitation infrastructure in Mozambique should therefore free people from an otherwise sickening environment and thus be considered among the most crucial investments in the state’s economic future. Indeed, the returns on investments in this regard can be relatively juicy, with studies estimating that every dollar spent on sanitation has preliminary returns of up to $5.50. These would result from better health outcomes and higher productivity, in addition to reduced Medicare costs.

1. Improving Public Health:

Investment in sanitation infrastructure can dramatically cut the incidence of waterborne diseases, thus improving health outcomes and lowering mortality rates. Improved sanitation and the provision of clean water can reduce diarrhoea cases by up to 50%, and that will save lives and decrease the disease toll in Mozambique’s health system. This will free up time and resources for the health sector so it can respond to other calls.

2. Boosting Economic Growth:

Economic profits from enhanced sanitation can be achieved through an effect postulated to increase productivity and decrease health-related costs. A healthier population is a less-constrained workforce; people who are not collecting water or sick have more time available to adopt more economically productive lives. With these facilities upgraded, the benefits are that more international tourists are attracted, meaning more revenue for the economy, since tourism helps promote the country’s image.

3. Enhancing educational outcomes:

Investing in school Sanitation makes all the difference in outcomes, and if sanitation affected anything, it would most likely be the performance level of girls. Schools with functioning sanitation facilities have higher enrolment of girls, higher attendance, and improved cognitive performance. For Mozambique, it can therefore be in a position to achieve its goals of universal basic education and gender equality. However, this depends on whether every school in the country has access to clean water and proper sanitation.

4. Environmental Protection:

Proper sanitation infrastructure is also pivotal in preventing environmental degradation. In turn, through sewage treatment before discharge into water bodies, it will prevent pollution of rivers, thus saving the ones in Mozambique and the oceans, which are left only to posterity. Moreover, in a country whose economy is wholly dependent on agriculture and fishing, this produce depends heavily on clean water sources.

While the benefits of investing in sanitation infrastructure are clear, Mozambique faces several challenges in implementing these investments. These include:

1. Funding Constraints:

As one of the world’s weakest countries, Mozambique lacks the resources to allocate to infrastructure development. It mainly receives funding for sanitation infrastructure from international partners and loans. Ensuring sufficient funds for sanitation infrastructure requires the government to work with international donors and the private sector.

2. Infrastructure and Technical Capacity:

Among the most significant challenges to the sanitation action plan in Mozambique is limited infrastructure and technical capacity. Most rural areas are largely inaccessible; hence, it is tough to make sanitation services accessible and to service and maintain the facilities. The authorities also have a limited number of trained personnel to design, build, and follow up on sanitation. Addressing these challenges can be perfected through investing in infrastructure and human resources.

3. Cultural and behavioural barriers:

Cultural norms and behaviours also play a role in the adoption and utilisation of sanitation facilities. In some communities or villages, open defecation is still the order of the day, and initial public education engagement and community involvement are critical for behavioural change and for enhancing proper utilisation of the new sanitation facilities put in place.

Sanitation infrastructure development is not just an ethical investment but also highly feasible from an economic standpoint. The benefits that derive from improved sanitation go way beyond health; they extend to observed value in productivity, education, and the environment. But these are all benefits that must be captured in Mozambique if the country is going to be able to marshal flows of funds, infrastructural projects, and newly learnt behaviours. The Mozambican government and the private sector can provide critical support for the local efforts. By jointly investing in sanitation infrastructure, Mozambique can make strides toward improving public health, reducing poverty, and achieving economic well-being.