Govt puts stringent water, sanitation measures to improve health

—Local Government and Housing Minister, Emmanuel Chenda, says government and co-operating partners have put in place stringent measures to improve the water and sanitation matters on the centre stage in order to improve the lives of Zambians.

Mr Chenda, in a speech read on his deputy, Nicholas Banda, said the issue of sanitation has been of concern to government and concerned stakeholders in this country.

The minister said co-operating partners have so far spent over K150 billion for water and sanitation programme across the country for the benefit of the citizens.

He said this when he officiated at the cerebration of One Million Sanitation Users on Water and Sanitation held in headman Shakatwa’s village of Chieftainess Nkomesha of Kafue district.

Mr Chenda said the water and sanitation programme, which was started in 2012, is targeted to reach over three million people by 2016.

He noted that over 1,000,300 people have so far been educated on the need to practice good water and pit-latrine sanitation to prevent them from acquiring diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and other ailments.

Mr Chenda said the programme has also been extended to schools where 4000 pupils have benefited from the water and sanitation programme with the help of the donors, such as UK AID, Water Aid, UNICEF and other co-operating partners.

And speaking at the same water and Sanitation Programme celebrations, Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Chergy Rudd, said it is gratifying and impressing that 1,000,000 people have so far been reached on matters of Water and Sanitation in the nation.

Ms Rudd said this is a great achievement and a milestone which should be embraced by government and other stakeholders.

She added that she was sure that by 2016, many people in the country would be reached and learn to use safe and well ventilated pit latrines for their benefit.

Ms Rudd  noted that good hygiene standards are good for the people because they prevents them from getting unnecessary diseases which she said have claimed lives of many people in Zambia.