Malawi and Kenya are among the first countries set to benefit from a global sanitation and hygiene initiative targeting 500 000 people across Africa, Middle East and Asia.
This follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that has been signed between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and LIXIL Corporation pertaining to the initiative, which aims at fostering a self-sustaining economy.
| Courtesy of Jica
A statement from Jica’s media and public relations department yesterday said the focus in Malawi will be on climate-resilient water and sanitation systems capable of withstanding natural disasters while in Kenya, the focus will be on supporting refugee self-reliance in its Kakuma region.
“The partnership will launch in Kenya and Malawi, targeting homes, schools, and healthcare facilities,” reads part of the statement.
Jica president Akihiko Tanaka is quoted in the statement as having said: “Global challenges surrounding water and sanitation remain severe, and many people still lack access to safe sanitation and hygiene services. It has also become clear that simply building facilities does not ensure that hygiene practices take root.”
LIXIL Corporation president and chief executive officer Kinya Seto is also quoted in the statement as having said there is need to create a market-driven sanitation economy that grows autonomously.
He is quoted in the statement as having said LIXIL has set a goal to improve sanitation and hygiene for the ‘next 100 million people by the fiscal year ending March 2031.
The news comes against a background of President Peter Mutharika’s Executive order calling for urgent action to address appalling sanitation and hygiene facilities in public, workplaces and schools amid a surge in cholera cases.
In the order dated March 1 2026, the President said this was influenced by the need to mitigate threats posed by waterborne diseases arising from inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
