33 villages attain ODF in Mzimba
Thirty-three villages in Tradional Authority (T/A) Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba will no longer face waterborne diseases following a successful integrated community-based healthcare programme Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) implemented in the area.
MRCS secretary general Esther Kaimira Namaliya said 23 500 people have benefited from the programme which Swiss Red Cross has funded since 2014.
how to wash hands
“This is one of our success stories in various districts where we are working. It was not easy to mobilise people to adopt the strategies we introduced to make this a success, but finally, we are singing a happy song,” she said.
Namaliya said the number of households with safe pit latrines has risen from 34 to 89 per cent translating into a significant reduction in the number of diarrhoea related infections.
T/A Kampingo Sibande admitted that for many years, people in his area have been using bushes to relieve themselves.
He said: “Few families had pit latrines and some did not know how best to use them until this programme came. Now almost every household has a toilet and a hand washing facility.”
Namaliya said the programme was implemented in Mzimba and Salima where 46 000 people have been reached.n
