The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Marie Claire Mukasine, yesterday announced that there would be 100 percent sanitation coverage by 2012, and stressed on accelerating strategies to achieve this target.

She made the remarks while addressing a preparatory meeting of the forthcoming third African Sanitation and Hygiene conference (AfricaSan 3), slated for July in Kigali.

Mukasine added that the overall objective is to get Africa on track to meet the sanitation Millenium Development Goal; the focus has to be on building and sustaining momentum through improved action plans and renewed commitments.

"Rwanda as a signatory to the Thekwini Declaration on sanitation and hygiene, we need to track our progress on this commitment… Country to country care, support and technical support is also an important methodology in achieving the sanitation MDG,” she noted.

"Even though our country is among the four sub-Saharan African countries that will meet the MDG on sanitation, we have our own targets and goals. We are planning 100 percent improved sanitation coverage countrywide by 2012”.

The other countries are Angola, Botswana, and South Africa.

"This will be achieved via a total sanitation campaign aiming at 100 percent improved sanitation from all households and 100 percent improved public toilets in public places by 2012,” said Mukasine 

The government intends to use a community-based approach to accelerate the achievement of this ambitious target.

"The total sanitation campaign acceleration is underway and this needs our efforts and strong partnership with other stakeholders,” said Mukasine.

She invited the line ministry to join efforts with her office to ensure that every Rwandan has access to clean and safe environment before the end of 2012.

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