Half of Malawians have no toilets – report

Half of Malawi’s population lack access to toilets, a situation stakeholders say affects sanitation in households.

Speaking during a public debate on Monday evening, Executive Director for Water Aid Marcy Masoo said many Malawians lack facilities that improve sanitation and hygiene.

Malawi commemorated World Water Day on Tuesday but Masoo said over 17% of deaths in children under the age of 14 in Malawi are caused by diarrhoea diseases that result from poor sanitation and hygiene.

“Trust me; the current statistics show that over 8 million Malawians have no latrines while 3 million of them have no access to safe drinking water,” she said.

She added that clean water facilities are also a challenge for public hospitals, saying the situation impacts on patient’s treatment.

Masoo said her organisation is trying to improve access to improve the situation by supporting service delivery and advocacy.