Neftaly: Upgrading Informal Settlement Infrastructure for Improved Health and Safety Outcomes

Introduction

Informal settlements across Africa and globally are home to millions of people who contribute to the economic and social life of cities. Yet, these communities often lack basic infrastructure—clean water, sanitation, drainage, roads, and electricity—resulting in poor health and heightened safety risks.

At Neftaly, we believe that equitable urban development starts with infrastructure justice. Upgrading informal settlement infrastructure is not just about construction—it’s about building dignity, reducing vulnerability, and ensuring every person can live in a healthy and safe environment.

1. The Link Between Infrastructure and Health

Lack of infrastructure has direct consequences on public health in informal settlements:

• Unsafe water and inadequate sanitation lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea.
• Poor drainage systems result in stagnant water, breeding mosquitoes and increasing the risk of malaria and dengue fever.
• Overcrowded and poorly ventilated structures increase the spread of respiratory illnesses like TB and COVID-19.

Investing in water, sanitation, drainage, and waste management infrastructure is the first line of defense against preventable diseases.

2. Infrastructure and Community Safety

Without proper infrastructure, safety in informal settlements is severely compromised:

• No street lighting creates dark areas prone to theft, violence, and gender-based violence.
• Lack of roads or clear pathways delays emergency response by ambulances, police, and fire services.
• Unstable electrical connections pose fire and electrocution hazards.

Simple interventions such as installing solar-powered streetlights, creating firebreaks, and establishing access routes can significantly reduce everyday risks.

3. Infrastructure for Climate Resilience

Informal settlements are particularly vulnerable to climate-related hazards:

• Flooding due to poor or nonexistent stormwater systems
• Heat stress in areas with no green cover or ventilation
• Landslides and erosion in settlements built on unstable land

Upgrading infrastructure with climate-smart design (like permeable pavements, green roofs, and rainwater harvesting) protects both lives and livelihoods, making settlements more resilient to future shocks.

4. Community-Driven Upgrading: A Neftaly Approach

Neftaly promotes participatory infrastructure upgrading, where communities are at the center of planning, implementation, and maintenance. This approach ensures:

• Local ownership and sustainable use of infrastructure
• Culturally appropriate solutions that reflect community needs
• Youth and women inclusion in technical skills training and employment

We partner with local governments, engineers, and urban planners to co-develop solutions that are affordable, practical, and community-approved.

5. Policy Advocacy and Systems Change

For long-term impact, infrastructure upgrading must be backed by supportive policy and governance:

• Recognition of informal settlements in city planning systems
• Secure tenure to prevent displacement during infrastructure development
• Budget allocations for incremental, in-situ upgrading

Neftaly works to influence urban policy so that upgrading becomes a right, not a privilege, and informal settlements are treated as integral parts of our cities.

6. Infrastructure as a Pathway to Human Dignity

When informal settlements are upgraded, the benefits go beyond health and safety:

• Children can study at night under proper lighting
• Women feel safer navigating their neighborhoods
• Residents walk confidently on roads that are clean, safe, and flood-free

Upgraded infrastructure restores a sense of pride, inclusion, and agency in communities that have long been marginalized.

Conclusion

Upgrading infrastructure in informal settlements is a moral, public health, and development imperative. It creates healthier environments, reduces daily safety risks, and enables long-term community development.

At Neftaly, we are committed to working with communities, not for them—to design and implement infrastructure solutions that are inclusive, sustainable, and transformative.

A healthy and safe community is a thriving community. Let’s build that future together.