By Owen Nyaka
Water and Environmental Sanitation Network (WES Network) says as a sector they are deeply concerned with low political prioritization of Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) related issues in the country.
Speaking during a press briefing held at World Vision International in Lilongwe which was addressed by WASH Technical Program Manager Debora Muheka, Water Services Association of Malawi (WASAMA) Executive Secretary Dokani Ngwira and Water AID Coordinator for Policy and Sector Engagement, Lloyd Mtalimanja amongst others, the sector says what works in USA might not work in Malawi, and therefore, in whatever we are doing we need to consider what suits us as a Malawians for us to win COVID-19 fight.
WES Net National coordinator, Willies Mwandira told journalists in Lilongwe that an evident of low political prioritization of WASH is in budgetary allocations that fail to meet locally and internationally prescribed bench marks for instance 5 per cent of total national budget as per the eThekwini declaration which Malawi is a signatory to.
“We are requesting government to immediately increase national budget allocation to WASH from an average of 1 per cent over the past 3 to 5years towards a minimum threshold of 5% of total national budget,” said Mwandira adding that “This is in keeping with Malawi’s Water Sector Investment Plan (WSIP) 2012 allocation estimates, the SDG costing tool projections and numerous commitments and declarations that Malawi is party to, such as those under the global Sanitation and Water for All partnership.
He said there is low prominence of WASH in Health Care Facilities (HCFs), yet HCFs are critical in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and in preventing health care workers, patients, clients and guardians from health care acquired infections.
Mwandira says lack of sense of urgency by Government to settle all unpaid bills owed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies and come up with rescue or support package for the country’s water utilities to enable them fulfil their obligation of providing potable water to Malawians, currently the owes MK30 billion to the Water Utilities is of greater concern.
He said Government must also repair strategic non-functional boreholes, fitted with hand-pump in rural districts using data from district water development offices as informed by the most recent water points mapping exercise as the basis for prioritization.
Institute a moratorium on household water disconnections by Water Boards during the State of National Disaster and arrange for a payment plan for arrears with water users and Lower water tariffs, lower new connection fee, reconnect those who are disconnected during this COVID pandemic period, and remove VAT on WASH products such as soap, mops, chlorine and hand washing buckets.
Arrange for payment of arrears and if possible, institute targeted subsidies that would cover the poor in urban, peri-urban and rural areas.
According to instructions from the World Health Organization (WHO), washing hands regularly with clean water and soap kills the virus. Therefore, the pandemic is 100% Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) related.
