NWASCO calls for increased funding from govt, partners

The National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) has called for increased funding from government and cooperating partners to the water sector to improve access to adequate sanitation which is a time bomb.

NWASCO Public Relations officer Rose Tembo says as the country joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Toilet Day which falls today19^th November, 2014, only 3, 503, 804 people have access to sanitation services in the urban and peri urban areas.

Ms. Tembo says out of an urban population of 5, 965, 575, only 58.7% have access to adequate sanitation services, while only 43% of the rural population have access to adequate sanitation from a population of 8,290,696.

She has reiterated that adequate investment for providing basic sanitation remains cardinal if the country is to witness a turnaround of the current status of sanitation coverage.

She says government should ensure that water and sanitation are prioritized on the National agenda.

Ms. Tembo notes that for a long time now, financing has been one of the major obstacles in increasing access to adequate sanitation in Zambia due to the huge cost involved especially in establishing piped sewerage systems and waste water treatment plants for urban areas.

Ms. Tembo says investing in sanitation is costly yet evidence has shown that the cost of not ensuring adequate access to sanitation is even higher in terms of public health and loss of man power due to illness

She has further called on consumers to take good care of sewerage facilities and desist from vandalising sewerage infrastructure, throwing garbage, diapers and other solid materials down the drain which cause blockages.

Report by Lusa Kilale