The factors associated with sanitation facility experienced by households in South Africa: insights from the 2019 General Household Survey

Abstract

Background: Access to adequate sanitation has become a growing concern in developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and parts of Asia. The United Nations (UN) has recognised access to sanitation as a human right and a basic need, which is significant for public health, social, and economic growth. After failing to achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Target 7 by 2015, the UN implemented new strategies through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, SDG Target 6.2 aims to ensure global, adequate, and equitable access to water and sanitation by 2030, with special attention to the needs of women and girls, as well as those in vulnerable situations. However, given the significant number of people without adequate access to these services, it is unlikely that this goal will be met by 2030. In South Africa, access to sanitation is largely influenced by historical legacies of apartheid, socioeconomic inequalities, and environmental challenges. As a result, the democratic government implemented legal policies to provide water and sanitation services to the country's population. However, historical racial planning and insufficient provision of infrastructure in disadvantaged areas have created deep-rooted injustices that continue to affect conditions in the post-apartheid era. Thus, this study contributes to the body of literature about access to sanitation facilities in developing countries, and it also aims to explore the factors contributing access to improved sanitation, the distance to the toilet, and the use of shared facilities.