The goals of ending poverty and delivering shared prosperity mean that “frontline” countries – those with the largest deprivations – must be at the center of expanding service delivery. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the third highest poverty rate in the world, the fifth largest number of poor people within its borders, and having experienced protracted fragility for decades, is one such country. Access to both improved water and sanitation has risen by barely three percentage points since the first democratic elections in 2006, and it missed the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). In fact, less than half of the 51 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) met the MDG targets on access to improved water, and only three countries – all island nations – met targets for improved sanitation.

In most countries in SSA, the capital has a much higher rate of investment and thereby, greater access to services than peripheral urban areas.

The continuous migration from rural areas to urban periphery makes it imperative to redirect investments to secondary cities to ensure that these areas do not turn into low development traps. The WASH Poverty Diagnostics analysis provides countries with the tools to highlight areas where this investment is most needed to help them put their effort where it matters most.

Read more about improving water and sanitation in Africa by Aroha Bahuguna & Aude-Sophie Rodella at WASHfunders