Cities, leaders worldwide mark World Health Day
April 07, 2016
In other news, the Financial Times examines an effort underway in Kenya to provide populations living in low-income urban areas with access to clean toilets. According to the newspaper, the Kenya-based company Ecotact has placed 27 "Ikotoilets" in Kenya thus far, and plans to expand the program into Tanzania and Uganda. "This idea is just one of a range of solutions emerging as everyone from small businesses to city officials looks for ways to provide their citizens with access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities," the Financial Times writes.
"Doing so is becoming more difficult as the rapid expansion of urban populations poses monumental challenges for municipal authorities, particularly in developing countries where city slums are now home to more than 1bn people, according to UN-Habitat, the United Nations agency for human settlements," the newspaper notes.
The article examines efforts in other countries as well as the connection between the availability of clean drinking water and sanitation, several barriers to finding the funds to improve such services in the poor areas of the cities and several recent models for improvement (Murray, 4/6).
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