The African Development Bank Group has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Chad's efforts to achieve universal access to sanitation services during the country's inaugural National Sanitation Forum, held in N'Djamena from 2 to 4 September.
Organised by the Ministry of Water and Energy under the patronage of Prime Minister Allamaye Halina, the forum was held under the theme "Issues, Challenges and Prospects for Sanitation in Chad." It brought together key government ministries and municipalities from N'Djamena, Abéché and Moundou, international experts, youth associations, researchers, and community representatives.
Technical and financial partners included the African Development Bank, World Bank, European Union, UNICEF, the British High Commission, Water and Sanitation for Africa, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Swedish humanitarian NGO LM International, the French Development Agency, and the World Health Organization.
Claude N'Kodia, African Development Bank acting Country Manager in Chad, underlined the Bank's determination to support the country's sanitation goals: "Ensuring universal access to safely managed sanitation services is not a utopian dream, but a perfectly achievable goal. The African Development Bank stands ready to support Chad with its financial instruments and technical expertise to turn this ambition into reality."
The Secretary of State for Higher Education, Tom Erdimi, representing the Prime Minister, said the forum marked a turning point for Chad. "Sanitation is a major determinant of public health, a foundation of human dignity, and a cornerstone of sustainable development. This forum should enable us to draw up a realistic national roadmap and mobilise all our efforts to sustainably improve the living conditions of Chadians."
Chad faces significant challenges in the area of sanitation: more than 82 percent of the population do not have adequate sanitation facilities, 63 percent practise open defecation, and only 11 percent have access to safely managed services. The economic cost of poor sanitation is estimated at $129.5 million annually, undermining public health, environmental protection and socioeconomic development.
Participants proposed several urgent measures, including strengthening the legal and regulatory framework for sanitation; enhancing the intersectoral coordination mechanism; allocating a dedicated sanitation budget line of at least 0.5 percent of GDP; launching a national campaign against open defecation; and creating a National Sanitation Office.
The forum urged local authorities to integrate sanitation into municipal plans and strengthen waste management, while calling on development partners to maintain strategic support, particularly for digitisation, monitoring, and evaluation.
Djamal Yaya Moussa, Mayor of N'Djamena's 1st District, highlighted the role of communities: "Sanitation is at the heart of the municipalities' mission. This forum constitutes a genuine social contract, which binds the State, partners and above all, the population, the main actor in sanitation. The challenge is to bring about lasting behavioural change for a healthier, more public-spirited living environment."
The African Development Bank is financing several flagship programs in Chad's water and sanitation sector. They include the Rural Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (PNEAR), financed to the tune of $21.67 million, which has delivered 366 latrines, 570 handwashing facilities, and awareness campaigns that have halved waterborne disease prevalence. The Bank has also provided a total funding of $61.58 million for the Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Programme in Semi-urban and Rural Areas (PAEPA SU MR), covering 11 vulnerable provinces in Chad. The project, which incorporates circular economy, women's empowerment, and climate adaptation, aims to strengthen community resilience by reducing inequalities, creating jobs and improving long-term public health.
