A striking new report shows that Liberia suffered an estimated US$231 million in losses during 2023 alone equivalent to 5.3% of the country's GDP due to inadequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services.
The study, the first known WASH cost-benefit analysis report on Liberia, highlights the urgent need for investment in basic WASH services across homes, schools, and healthcare facilities.
The year-long Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), led by a globally recognized WASH economist and researcher, Guy Hutton, found that over half of the economic losses stem from time spent collecting water or searching for toilets, while 27% is due to premature deaths linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
The report estimates that up to US$171 million in losses could be prevented annually between 2024 and 2030 with basic WASH improvements. It also estimates that 67% of the benefits from improved WASH would go to women, primarily through time savings and better health outcomes.
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Barriers to Progress
Low political prioritization and weak institutional capacity; Limited household income and government budgets; Cultural norms and lack of awareness of water and sanitation as human rights; and Inadequate technical capacity and poor data for planning and accountability were identified to be key reasons for Liberia's slow progress in improving WASH services.
Currently, fewer than one in four Liberians have access to basic toilets at home, and less than 40% have safe water. WASH-related diseases account for nearly 6% of national health spending, disproportionately affecting women and underserved communities.
At the report launch in Monrovia, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, WaterAid Liberia Country Director Chuchu Selma urged the government to prioritize WASH financing, update the outdated National WASH Strategy, and integrate WASH infrastructure into county budgets. He also called for stronger disease surveillance and enforcement of WASH standards in schools and health facilities.
"The figures in the report are not just statistics but rather represent lost lives, stunted potential, and missed opportunities for national growth," said Selma.
On behalf of the Liberian Government, the report was accepted by Mohammed Ali, Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, together with Morris Gono, Executive Director of the National WASH Commission, who led the forum to launch the report and pledged to present the findings to President Joseph Boakai for high-level reflection.
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The WHO and World Bank have also expressed their support for the study, highlighting its value in identifying new opportunities for increased WASH funding and strengthening collaboration between WaterAid, the government, and development partners.
Naomi Solanke, head of Community Health Initiatives, stressed the importance of pro-poor financing to ensure vulnerable groups, especially women, girls, and people with disabilities--are not left behind.
WaterAid is also working with WHO and UNICEF to support the government in developing a WASH Account--a financial tracking tool to monitor sector funding and improve transparency and investment planning.
Representatives of other government WASH ministries and agencies, development and donor partners, including the Civil City institutions, graced the occasion.
