Joachim Chissano: Scientists can make Africa rich

Water is essential for life. Safe, abundant water is vital to our ability to prosper and to fulfill our potential. Without it, we face a continual decline in well-being; we face poverty and hunger and increasing levels of conflict.Across Africa, a third of us have no access to clean water, and almost two thirds no access to clean sanitation, causing widespread suffering from malaria, typhoid, dysentery to many other diseases.Apart from this effect upon our health, the loss of productivity from water-related illnesses holds back our progress.The population in many African countries is growing rapidly each year, averaging 2.5 per cent across sub-Saharan Africa, but the lack of safe water and sanitation reduces our economic growth at twice that rate. And a growing population must be properly fed.

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