The government is scaling up free water connections prioritising areas that are prone to outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
According to Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Liana Kakhobwe Chapota, her ministry will ensure there is constant availability of clean and safe water.
“Government also continues to implement the free water connection policy for all the water boards with priority being the hotspot /cholera prone areas,” she said.
Chapota further said that since the free water connections commenced, about 27,642 households have benefited countrywide.
Since the onset of the new cholera season on November 1, Malawi has registered 49 laboratory-confirmed cholera cases.
Two deaths, out of these, have been reported from 10 health districts.
The figures, according to a press release on cholera and COVID-19 epidemics released last week, are in sharp contrast to the 11,052 laboratory-confirmed cases, and 374 deaths, reported over the same period in 2022.
On her part, Oxfam Malawi Country Director, Lingalireni Mihowa, stressed the need to swiftly implement activities that would help improve people’s hygiene and access to clean water to fight against the cholera spread.
Reported by Kenneth Jali.
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