E/C.12/NAM/CO/1 62. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) points; Take effective measures in rural areas to reduce the distance to water (b) Consider revising the water tariff in favour of the disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups; (c) Urgently deploy resources to provide access to improved sanitation in informal settlements, rural areas and schools and raise awareness of the threat to health posed by open defecation; (d) Establish an independent regulatory system to monitor water and sanitation service provision. 63. The Committee refers the State party to its general comment No 15 (2002) on the right to water and its 2010 statement on the right to sanitation. Right to health 64. While noting with appreciation the statement by the delegation that no one could be refused health-care services because of an inability to pay, the Committee is nonetheless concerned at high maternal and infant mortality rates among low-income groups. Moreover, the Committee expresses concern at the limited availability of health services in rural and remote areas, in spite of improvement in access achieved during recent years. The Committee also expresses concern at the inequality in access to quality health services, with services of better quality in private facilities (art. 12). 65. The Committee recommends that, while implementing the National Health Policy Framework 2010-2020, the Namibia Child Survival Strategy 2014-2018 and other relevant policies, the State party: (a) Ensure that the increase in the allocation and use of funding to improve access to the health system bridges the gap in health outcomes, such as declining infant and maternal mortality rates, between the wealthiest and the most disadvantaged groups; (b) Invest in improving access to quality health services, including secondary health care, for those in rural and remote areas. 66. The Committee draws the attention of the State party to its general comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Sexual and reproductive health 67. While noting the progress achieved, the Committee is concerned that, although HIV/AIDS remains an underlying cause of mortality for a certain number of diseases, 15 per cent of individuals living with HIV/AIDS still do not have access to antiretroviral treatment and 35 per cent of HIV-positive pregnant women have not received treatment. The Committee is also concerned that the procedures in place requiring written consent prior to sterilization have not prevented sterilization being performed on non-consenting women (art. 12). 68. The Committee recommends that, while implementing the National Policy on Sexual, Reproductive and Child Health, the State party take the following into account: (a) focus efforts on delivering services to the HIV-positive individuals who currently do not have access to antiretroviral treatment; (b) make condoms available in prisons to further efforts to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS; (c) implement measures for clearly defining the requirement of free, prior and informed consent 11