A handwashing station at a school in Sierra Leone. Photo: George Lewis / World Bank.
In the words of President Julius Maada Bio, “access to safe water and sanitation is not a favor extended to the few, but a right guaranteed to all.”
Many households in Sierra Leone still dream of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) instead of experiencing it daily. Children spend mornings fetching water instead of going to school. Unsanitary conditions put mothers at risk during childbirth, and waterborne diseases are a constant threat to communities’ well-being.
The numbers say it all. Only 23% of Sierra Leoneans have access to safe drinking water at home. One in four people still defecate outdoors. Only 12% of households have facilities to wash their hands with soap and water. As a result, unsafe water and poor sanitation account for 30% of the country’s health issues. Child mortality stands at 69.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, nearly 45% above the regional average.
The economic impact is just as stark. Sierra Leone loses up to 5% of GDP each year from illnesses and productivity losses linked to poor WASH services. Yet the benefits of acting are proven. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, every dollar invested in WASH generates about seven dollars in benefits through improved health, education, and productivity. Schools with proper facilities record higher attendance and lower dropout rates, particularly for girls.
No child should have to walk miles to fetch water before school, no mother should risk getting infected at a clinic due to lack of sanitation, and no community should endure the indignity of preventable diseases in the 21st century. The challenge is clear, but so is the opportunity. Investing in WASH is an investment in people, in health, and in economic development.
A New Vision for 2035: A Water-Secure and Sanitation-Safe Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has abundant water resources, including ample rainfall, rivers, and groundwater. However, its challenge is to harvest these resources for efficient and equitable WASH services.
At a national event on July 8 in Freetown, the Sierra Leone government and its partners held a historic launch of a 10-year National WASH Sector Development Program, which built on a WASH Poverty Diagnostic (2024), both developed with support from the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership. The event also unveiled the contours of a World-Bank funded Multiphase Water Security and WASH Access Improvement Program.
The National WASH Sector Development Program 2025–2035 outlines the vision for “a water-secure and sanitation-safe Sierra Leone by 2035, supported by strong institutions and sustainable financing.” To achieve this vision, the program is anchored on four goals.
- Enhancing water resources management and achieving universal access to water by 2035.
- Eliminating open defecation and achieving universal access to sanitation and its management while improving access to hygiene by 2035.
- Strengthening and building capacity of all water sector institutions.
- Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene sector financing.
The launch marked a moment of urgency and hope, as leaders and communities united behind a shared vision of water for dignity, health, and development of human capital. Delivering this vision will require about US$1.7 billion and pooling funds from development partners and mobilizing private capital for collective action to improve water security and WASH.
President Julius Maada Bio at the official launch of Sierra Leone’s National WASH Sector Development Program 2025–2035 in Freetown, July 2025. Photo: World Bank.
A 10-Year Multiphase Program Supported by the World Bank to Implement Sierra Leone’s WASH Vision
In September 2025, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a multiphase programmatic approach totaling US$180 million over the next decade to support a Water Security and WASH Access Improvement Program designed to improve sector institutions, strengthen WASH services, and increase water resources and climate resilience in Sierra Leone. The first phase of the program, supported by a US$40 million International Development Association grant, will focus on institutional reforms and on improving water supply and sanitation service delivery in the Western Area. It will strengthen key sector institutions, establish about 100 WASH facilities in schools and health centers, and improve services for millions of people. This phase is also expected to create about 1,000 jobs. The second phase will complement and expand interventions to additional cities and the third phase will implement them nationwide. Each phase will be tied to sector performance improvements and measurable outcomes.
A Call to Action
Progress in the WASH sector will require stable financing, committed leadership, and partnerships built on trust and transparency. The approval of the new World Bank support is a hopeful beginning, but the real challenge is to turn vision into results.
With ongoing effort, Sierra Leone can improve WASH access. In a decade, all children could have water at home, mothers could deliver in safe and hygienic conditions, and communities could end open defecation.
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