WESNET Urges Malawi Government to Prioritize Water Supply and Accessibility in National Response to Cholera Outbreak

MALAWI: The Water and Environmental Sanitation Network (WESNET), a national umbrella network of organizations and individuals working to deliver Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in Malawi, has called on the government to prioritize water supply and accessibility in the national response to the cholera public health emergency, writes Bridget Mwanoka.

The organization has emphasized the importance of proper and thorough hand washing to curb the spread of the disease but notes that this requires access to water, hygiene supplies, and soap.

In a statement, WESNET highlighted that only 89 percent of the Malawian population has access to clean water and that there are geographical variations in access to safe water among urban, peri-urban, and rural dwellers.

The organization has recommended that the government provide more resources to the Ministry of Water and Sanitation so that it can recruit more staff, particularly at the district level, to continuously monitor water points, rehabilitate and maintain non-functional boreholes/water sources, and ensure communities have access to safe and clean water at all times.

WESNET has also called for support to be rendered to district-level water, sanitation, and hygiene plans on cholera preparedness and response through the disbursement of funds to districts to enable the intensification of preventive activities such as massive awareness campaigns on the prevention of cholera, water quality monitoring and testing, and chlorination.

The organization has appealed to President Lazarus Chakwera to maintain the new Ministry of Water and Sanitation during the pending cabinet reshuffle, as it is key to fighting against the disease and preventing similar diseases in the future.

The cholera outbreak was declared a public health emergency on December 5, 2022.