African sanitation research project receives $7m grant

17 November 2011

A US-based charity has received a $7 million (£4.42 million) to improve rural sanitation in Africa.

The money will go towards Plan International's Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) project, which researches and tests the cost-effectiveness, sustainability and scalability of the CTLS approach.

Given by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the money will be used over four years to help develop and deploy new CTLS infrastructure in Africa, with projects specifically designed for use in Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana.

Plan International's president and chief executive officer Tessie San Martin said that the system is a proven method for improving sanitation in developing countries.

"The grant gives us the opportunity to test components of the CLTS approach through pilot studies, in order to implement successful and evidence-based programmes on a larger scale," she explained.

The African Development Bank recently approved a $15 million loan to help improve water and sanitation initiatives in Maradi, Tahoua and Zindar in Niger.

Category: Water