By Alick Nzangaya
World Vision Malawi says it is committed to joining the Malawi government in fighting open defecation so as to make the country more clean.
This is according to World Vision Malawi Associate Director for the South Jane Makina who was speaking on Tuesday at Mbulumbudzi primary school in Chiradzulu where the area of Traditional Authority Mpama was declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).
Makina said it is sad that around 4.2 billion people in the world use services that leave human waste untreated a thing which she said threatens human and environmental health.
She added that this hampers child development, social and economic progress, making the fulfilment of child rights, good physical, mental and social well-being unattainable in the absence of safe sanitation.
The Associate Director then assured the Malawi government that her organization will keep on working in various areas countrywide to making sure that the country remains clean.
Makina here said this will help in achieving universal Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) coverage by 2025 as stipulated by the Global Sustainable Development Goal number 6.
“Sanitation is key in terms of development of a country, so World Vision continues to do this work not just in the areas of WASH but even in other areas. We will continue to focus in other areas beyond Chiradzulu and that’s our commitment, we are not stopping here,” said Makina.
She added that statistics show that Malawi loses close to 8.8 billion Malawi kwacha every year because of poor sanitation and this cost goes towards health care services for water borne diseases, loss of life and loss of productivity by the citizenry.
In her speech Deputy Minister of Health Chrissie Kalamula Kanyasho who was the guest of honor, commended Senior Chief Mpama who is the 138th T/A to achieve an Open Defecation Free status, for his hardworking spirit towards attaining the ODF status.
Kanyasho further added that if other chiefs in the country would be more serious about sanitation and hygiene issues, cases of hygiene and water borne related diseases would have dropped way back.
“What has happened here is really recommendable and as a ministry we want to encourage other chiefs in the country to do likewise in their respective areas,” said Kanyasho.
She then commended the World Vision Malawi claiming the organization is doing a tremendous job and has since asked other organizations to fall suit.
Of other developments in Chiradzulu alone, World Vision Malawi has drilled 98 boreholes reaching out to 26,176 people, constructed 18 latrine in schools benefiting 16,704 pupils and one latrine at a health centre Benefiting 20400 people.
