Health, Equity, and Life: Making Water and Sanitation a Constitutional Right in Sierra Leone
At a defining moment in Sierra Leone’s democratic journey, WASHNet Sierra Leone has formally submitted its position statement to the Constitutional Review Committee, calling for the explicit recognition of the human rights to water and sanitation in the revised 1991 Constitution.
This is not simply a technical amendment. It is about dignity, justice, and the future of public health in our country.
A Critical Gap in the 1991 Constitution
The current 1991 Constitution outlines important civil and political rights. It speaks to social objectives and state responsibilities. Yet, access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation is not explicitly guaranteed as a justiciable human right .
For a country that has endured civil war, the Ebola epidemic, recurrent cholera outbreaks, and ongoing WASH challenges, this omission is significant. Water and sanitation are not optional services. They are foundational to life, health, education, gender equality, and economic participation.
The constitutional review process offers a historic opportunity to correct this gap.
What Is WASHNet Proposing?
In its submission, WASHNet proposes three key constitutional insertions :
- Strengthening Chapter II (Fundamental Principles of State Policy) by adding a new provision requiring the State to ensure equitable access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use, and to adequate sanitation for all.
- Introducing a standalone right within the Bill of Rights, stating that every person has the right to safe and sufficient water and adequate sanitation, and that the State must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to progressively realize this right.
- Strengthening Chapter XV on Land, Natural Resources and the Environment by framing access to water explicitly as a fundamental human right essential for life and dignity.
These proposals are clear, practical, and aligned with international human rights standards.
Why Constitutional Recognition Matters
Public Health Protection
The connection between poor WASH services and disease is well documented. Cholera, typhoid, diarrheal diseases, and the devastating lessons of the Ebola outbreak all point to one reality: without safe water and proper sanitation, health systems cannot function effectively.
Embedding WASH rights in the Constitution would elevate them from policy choices to legal obligations.
Gender Equality and Social Justice
Women and girls continue to bear the burden of water collection and suffer most from the lack of private and safe sanitation facilities. This affects their safety, school attendance, and long-term opportunities.
A rights-based constitutional framework would require the State to prioritize marginalized groups, including rural communities, informal settlements, persons with disabilities, women, and children .
Economic Growth and Productivity
Time lost to fetching water and illness caused by unsafe conditions limits productivity and entrenches poverty, as government of Sierra Leone Looses at least 5% of GDP annually responding to related illnesses. Recognizing WASH as a constitutional right positions water and sanitation not as expenditures, but as investments in national human capital.
Alignment with International and National Commitments
Sierra Leone is a signatory to international treaties such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and has committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6. The UN General Assembly has already recognized the human right to water and sanitation.
Constitutional recognition would align domestic law with these commitments and strengthen implementation of national policies in water, sanitation, health, environment, and local governance .
Accountability and Implementation
WASHNet’s submission goes beyond recognition. It calls for:
- Making the rights to water and sanitation justiciable.
- Applying the principle of non-discrimination.
- Mandating the use of maximum available resources for progressive realization.
- Establishing clear accountability mechanisms, including reporting to Parliament and access to judicial redress .
In practical terms, this would ensure that government agencies, local councils, and service providers are guided by constitutional duty, not discretion.
A Defining Moment for Sierra Leone
The constitutional review process is more than a legal exercise. It is an opportunity to reflect who we are and what we value as a nation.
By enshrining the human rights to water and sanitation in the Constitution, Sierra Leone would take a decisive step toward building a healthier, more equitable, and more resilient country. It would signal that access to safe water and sanitation is not a privilege for a few, but a right for all.
WASHNet stands ready to continue engaging Parliament, government institutions, civil society, and development partners to ensure that this moment leads to lasting change.
For a healthy, dignified, and thriving Sierra Leone, water and sanitation must become constitutional realities.
