By Owen Nyaka:
Director of sanitation and hygiene, Modester Kanjaye has called upon WASH sector to move together with Malawians towards the realization of an inclusively wealth and self-reliant nation by 2063.
She made the remarks Thursday in Lilongwe during official opening of a two-day WASH Innovation Fair.
“This innovation fair gives us an opportunity to see and appreciate some of the technologies that if given a chance for upscaling, can help Malawi in the near future to withstand disasters like cyclones,” she said.
With 56,090 cholera cases since it’s inception according to Ministry of Health, this innovation fair also serves as a reminder that Malawi is capable of eliminating this water borne disease if the best practices are indeed followed and if those in the know of solutions to the existing problems, disseminate what they know could help us as a nation.
She said the country still need to be cautious on hygiene practices.
Kanjaye further said there is need not to relax, and continue spreading the gospel in our target areas of programme implementation that washing hands regular remains the only way we can eliminate hygiene related diseases like COVID-19 and Cholera.
WESNET Board Chairperson, Yankho Mataya commended the government for making it possible to start the National Sanitation and Hygiene Policy which somehow disadvantaged the progress of development in sanitation and hygiene.
Mataya say it is also commendable that we now have the Directorate of Sanitation, meaning that our Ministry is now complete.
“Our expectation is that going forward, issues of sanitation will equally be priotized together with the other issues within the Ministry,” says Mataya.
She said as a network, WESNET they believe that having knowledge and learning exchange activities like the WASH innovation fair drives development.
The 2023 fair’s theme is promoting climate resilient and sustainable technologies and innovations for improved WASH service delivery in Malawi, moving together with Malawi 2063.
The fair is being funded by GIZ through African Population and Health Research Centrer and Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHW)
