The Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) has raised an alarm over a leaking sewer pipe crossing the Lilongwe River behind the SANA Mega Shop in Lilongwe, warning that untreated sewage is pouring into the river and posing a public health threat to communities relying on the water for domestic, urban, and agricultural use.
MHEN notes that the leak creates serious public health and environmental risks that directly affect communities that depend on the river for domestic, urban, and agricultural water use.
It has also indicated that the leak raises the risk of cholera outbreaks, undermining current prevention and response efforts and it burdens low‑income communities downstream with increased health inequity, exposing them to water‑borne illnesses such as diarrhea, typhoid, and other diseases.
Meanwhile, MHEN calls for action from the Lilongwe City Council and relevant authorities to urgently repair the leaking sewer infrastructure and stop further discharge into the river.
The council has also been advised to enforce strict routine inspection and maintenance of sewer systems to prevent such failures and ensure accountability when negligence or delayed maintenance is identified.
MHEN is an alliance of over 100 civil society organisations in Malawi committed to promoting equitable, affordable, and responsive health care services.
