The costs as shown in figure 4 (above) are based on the provision of a basic level of sanitation service, as defined by WASHCost, which implies that all the following criteria have been realised by the majority of the population in the service area: At least some members of the household use a latrine with an impermeable slab at the house, in the compound or shared with neighbours. The latrine is clean even if it may require high user eff ort for pit emptying and other long term maintenance. The disposal of sludge is safe and the use of the latrine does not result in problematic environmental impact.
[[#WASHCost ]] research indicated that in both Burkina Faso and Mozambique, higher levels of capital expenditure on sanitation services are found in the more densely populated peri-urban areas in comparison with rural areas (see figure 5) (Burr and Fonseca, 2011). A slab latrine in Burkina Faso costs over three times as much in peri urban areas than in rural areas. All latrines costed in rural Mozambique are two to three times cheaper than their peri-urban equivalents.
'''Figure 5. Median capital expenditure on latrines in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mozambique ( current cost US$ 2009)'''
[[Image:Median_capital.png|thumb|center|600px|Source: Burr and Fonseca, 2011, 12-13.]]
In contrast, [[Single_Ventilated_Improved_Pit|Ventilated Pit Latrines (VIPsVIP) ]] in Ghana are approximately 10% more expensive in rural areas than in small towns (see figure 5). Ventilated Pit Latrines (VIPs) costs in Burkina Faso are much higher than the found costs in neighbouring Ghana as well as in Mozambique. Ventilated Pit Latrines (VIPs) consistently cost between US$ 300 and US$ 600 to construct in Burkina, compared with average costs of between US$ 100 and US$ 250 in the other two countries. The occasional VIP in Ghana and Mozambique is of a comparable cost to those in Burkina Faso, but the majority cost three to four times less. The proportionally higher slab latrine costs in Burkina Faso reinforce the findings that the construction of latrines is generally more expensive here than in Mozambique.
==Key Documents and References==
