Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) has called for delinking of water and sanitation from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development saying the issues are being neglected.
MHEN has proposed that water and sanitation issues must be under the health ministry and not the Ministry of Agriculture in Malawi.
Speaking at MHEN interface budget meeting in Lilongwe, Board Chair for the health network Frank M’dala said the two issues could be addressed properly under health ministry and not the ministry of agriculture.
The proposal if implemented is to witness delinking of water boards in the country from the agriculture ministry and being placed under health ministry.
Malawi’s water and sanitation continue facing challenges under bodies that are responsible for supplying the water. One of the challenges is failure to provide potable water to citizens.
Some months ago, Lilongwe residents were supplied with water that was mixed with sewer, a development that endangered the residents.
The issues of watet supply are too technical as less of health issues as it involves resourse management and water distribution which ore more of an engineering nature. Only a minor part looks at water quality.