Sanitation

Innovations that improve access to safe, sustainable sanitation for all.

Sanitation

Access to safe sanitation is a basic human right — but today, 4.2 billion people still live without safely managed sanitation services. The impact is devastating: diarrheal disease remains the second leading cause of death among children under five; 80% of untreated wastewater flows directly into the environment; and poor sanitation fuels both antimicrobial resistance and climate change.

Our Impact

Since inception, Grand Challenges Canada’s Sanitation portfolio has achieved remarkable results:

Reached over

20 million

people with improved sanitation access

Improved

13.5 million lives

through the provision of safe, accessible sanitation facilities

We’ve funded

41 innovations

in 18 countries across the sanitation value chain

Invested more than

$29 million

in sanitation innovations

Leveraged an additional

$45 million

for sanitation innovations through matched funds

Innovation Clusters

We invest in transformative solutions across four key areas:

Container-based solutions that safely manage waste in urban and peri-urban settings, including innovations like Loowatt (Madagascar), SOIL (Haiti), Clean Team (Ghana), and Fresh Life (Kenya).

Circular economy approaches that convert waste into valuable resources, led by innovators like Safisana (Ghana), Sanivation (Kenya), and Pivot (Rwanda).

Novel approaches that address unique challenges in sanitation access, including WASH King (Ghana), Pit Vidura (Rwanda), and Lixil SATO (Global).

Integrated approaches combining multiple interventions for comprehensive impact, like Aerosan (Nepal) and Max Foundation (Bangladesh).

Innovation in action

Spotlight: Safisana & Clean Team (Ghana)

From poop to possibility

Safisana addresses urban waste management challenges by processing food waste and fecal matter into valuable resources. Partnering with Clean Team Ghana — another GCC-funded innovator that provides container-based toilets — Safisana transforms collected waste into high-quality organic fertilizer for local farmers and clean, renewable energy, while reducing harmful waste dumping into waterways.

Learn more about their partnership

Spotlight: Pit Vidura (Rwanda)

The scoop on safer sanitation

Pit Vidura provides essential pit emptying services in Kigali, Rwanda, using locally designed equipment to safely remove and transport waste away from communities. This innovation creates dignified employment opportunities for sanitation workers, reduces environmental contamination, and improves safety for households — particularly protecting children and the elderly.

Why Sanitation Matters

Our investments in sanitation innovation deliver triple-bottom-line benefits across society, the environment, and the climate. Socially, improved sanitation leads to better health outcomes, especially for children, reduces the risk of sexual and gender-based violence, and creates safer, more dignified working conditions for sanitation workers. Environmentally, our support helps reduce contamination, promotes the conversion of waste into valuable resources, and preserves vital water systems. Sanitation innovations increase community resilience to climate change, offer significant potential to reduce methane emissions, and support water conservation efforts in drought-prone regions.

Future Directions

As we look ahead, we are focused on advancing urban and peri-urban sanitation solutions, while supporting innovations across the entire sanitation value chain. We are committed to integrating climate resilience into every aspect of our work, enhancing water conservation throughout the sanitation service chain, and strengthening engagement with local ecosystems to drive greater municipal adoption and lasting impact.

Join us

GCC envisions a world where all low-income communities have equitable access to safe, clean, and dignified sanitation. Help us achieve this vision by: