ON 20 September 2025 the world observed International Clean-Up Day, during which millions of participants removed waste from homes, streets, rivers and forests.

For Africa, this occasion represents more than a single celebration: it is a deliberate public-health intervention of particular significance to mothers, children and remote villages where formal refuse-collection services are absent.

Many Health Ministries concentrate predominantly on clinics, vaccinations and pharmaceuticals. Yet research consistently affirms that health begins in the environments where people live, work and play. In rural areas, environmental hygiene can determine whether a child survives diarrhoeal disease, whether a pregnant woman reaches a clinic safely, and whether a household breathes air free of smoke and dust.

Improper waste management, stagnant water and indiscriminate burning of rubbish attract disease-bearing organisms, thereby increasing infections that overstretched rural clinics struggle to treat. Regular sanitation and careful environmental stewardship remain among the most cost-effective and reliable means of disease prevention.

Direct links between child health, environmental cleanliness

Contaminated water and the absence of safe sanitation facilities are principal drivers of diarrhoeal illness, which continues to claim thousands of young lives across Africa each year. Villages that protect springs, maintain latrines and remove refuse reduce drinking-water contamination and interrupt the cycle of infection that leads to malnutrition and stunting.

Vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue proliferate in discarded containers, clogged drains and standing water. Clean-up campaigns that remove tyres, plastics and stagnant pools diminish mosquito breeding grounds and reduce reliance on costly insecticide spraying

The cessation of open burning limits smoke and harmful airborne particles, thereby lowering respiratory infections among children—one of the leading causes of death after malaria. Clean air translates to improved school attendance, enhanced cognitive development and reduced medical expenditure. Likewise, the removal of broken glass, rusted metal and hazardous debris from play areas prevents injuries and the risk of tetanus.

Protecting maternal health

Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to unhygienic conditions that may cause infections during pregnancy and childbirth. Unsafe water, filth and accumulated waste contribute to sepsis—a major cause of maternal mortality in resource-limited settings.

Chronic diseases arising from contaminated water or soil impair nutrient absorption, exacerbate anaemia and endanger both mother and child. Sound sanitation and responsible waste management improve maternal nutrition and foster safer pregnancies

Even the journey to a clinic can be affected: roads obstructed by refuse or floodwaters may delay or prevent timely arrival during labour. Communities that clear drains and maintain water channels enhance maternal safety in transit.

Regular community sanitation reduces disease burdens, lowers the demand for medicines, and strengthens mental wellbeing and social cohesion. Residents take pride in a clean environment, which in turn increases community participation and family productivity, as mothers and children avoid illness-related absences from work or school.

Prioritising rural communities

Villages, situated near rivers, forests and fertile soils, are particularly susceptible to environmental degradation. In the absence of formal refuse-collection services, households are often compelled to dump or burn waste. Yet these same villages possess strong social networks that can mobilise collective clean-up efforts.

Although such communities contribute minimally to global pollution, they suffer disproportionately from its effects; supporting rural sanitation is therefore a matter of environmental justice.

International and national clean-up days as a catalyst

Now formally recognised by the United Nations, national clean-up days provide an opportunity to embed lasting measures which include targeting high-risk areas—drains, springs, latrines and domestic dumps and institutionalising regularity—establishing weekly or monthly cleaning schedules to deter pests.

Others are integrating public services—coupling clean-up events with immunisation, antenatal care and hygiene education, empowering women and youth—ensuring maternal and child health remains a central priority and monitoring outcomes by tracking cleared breeding sites and reductions in diarrhoeal cases.

Environmental sanitation is not a luxury but a fundamental public health service. Every village and remote community can use International Clean-Up Day as a springboard for enduring environmental protection, yielding clean water, unblocked drainage, smoke-free air and safe passage for expectant mothers.

When the world bent to sweep away waste on 20 September, Africa recognised an opportunity to reduce maternal and child mortality. The most powerful remedy may not be an injection or a tablet, but a broom, a hoe and a shared commitment to maintain environmental cleanliness—every week, not solely on the designated day.

Bryan Bwana is the Founding Trustee, Umoja Conservation Trust