Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project in Blantyre shows that the city is falling behind on access to adequate handwashing facilities and proper sanitation.
Blantyre District Coordinator for the WASH Project,Nelson Kumwenda, made these remarks on Friday at Lunzu Market during a market cleaning exercise. Together with the Red Cross and officials from the Blantyre District Council, they donated handwashing soap, buckets, and brooms for use at the market.
Kumwenda said only 32 percent of people wash their hands regularly and 68 per cent of the city residents have access to clean and hygienic toilets.
He added that this situation is one of the factors that makes it easy for Blantyre District to be vulnerable to waterborne diseases such as Cholera.
Senior Chief Kapeni urged city residents to prioritise hygienic practices, emphasising that illness among residents reduces productivity and places unnecessary strain on the city’s healthcare system.
Chief Kapeni further called upon people in the city to start teaching their children about the importance of hand washing and proper toilet usage norms.
By Alufisha Fischer
