Govt commends UK support in water sector
health intervention
Malawi Government has commended the British Government through Department for International Development (DfID) for supporting its water and sanitation delivery services.
The British government is funding Malawi Integrated Water Supply, Sanitation, Hygiene Promotion and Capacity Building Programme to the tune of K10.75 billion
Speaking during the launch of Malawi Integrated Water Supply, Sanitation, Hygiene Promotion and Capacity Building Programme at Matale Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority Phambala in Ntcheu recently, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Water Development and Irrigation, Sandram Maweru said the current Malawi’s water supply coverage is at 79 percent.
“We hope this programme will increase communities access to safe and potable water thereby reducing mortality and morbidity among under- five children who in most cases lose their lives to diarrhoea,” said Maweru.
He said government is committed to reducing the number of people who do not have access to safe and potable water by 15 percent by the year 2015.
“To demonstrate its commitment government established a Water and Sanitation Department in the Ministry of Water Development and Irrigation,” he said, adding that through the programme, the department will scale up its initiatives in ensuring that communities have access to potable water at all times.
Deputy DfID Head of Office Martin Dawson said lack of access to safe water, poor sanitation and hygiene practices are among top health concerns in Malawi hence, the need for development partners to contribute towards addressing the situation.
“International evidence shows that hygiene promotion is the most cost-effective public health intervention as by adopting simple hygiene practices such as washing hands with soap reduces diarrhoea by 43, hygiene promotion by 33, sanitation by 36 and water supply by 19 percent, respectively,” said Dawson.
The programme is expected to benefit over 600 00 thousand households in 10 districts, including Ntcheu, Balaka, Neno, Thyolo, Karonga and Dowa.
