The Republic of Zambia was once classified as a middle-income country. Three decades of economic decline and neglect of infrastructure and services have turned it into a very poor country.

In the 2007/08 United Nations Human Development Report, Zambia was ranked 165th out of 177 countries in the Human Development Index. According to the CIA’s World Factbook the current life expectancy in Zambia is a mere 38.59 years. 50% of children under 5 years old are affected by under nutrition (UNICEF).

• Total Population    12.9 million
• Annual Population Growth Rate (2006)    1.6%
• Access to safe water in rural areas    37%
• Access to safe sanitation in rural areas    13%
• Children dying before the age 5    182 per 1,000 live births

Village Water has carried out water, sanitation and hygiene education programmes in four Districts of the Western Province of Zambia - Kaoma, Mongu, Lukulu and Senanga. According to the Central Statistical Office of Zambia, the Western Province consistently emerges as the poorest Province.

The Zambia National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme indicates that only 37% of the rural population has access to clean water and 13% has access to sanitation facilities. In accordance with the Millennium Development Goals, the Zambian Government has set itself the target of, by 2015, halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. In rural areas of Zambia this means ensuring that 75% of the Zambian population has access to clean water and 50% has access to sanitation. Village Water is working with the knowledge of the Local Government in the Western Province to make this a reality. Hygiene and Sanitation Programmes do, of course, also impact on other Millennium Development Goals such as combating major diseases, particularly diarrhoea (goal 6), improving maternal health (goal 5) and reducing child mortality (goal 4).