Michael Mutonga Liswaniso
KATIMA MULILO – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani has called for urgent national reflection on the state of sanitation and a firm commitment to ending open defecation.
In a speech read on her behalf by Deputy Minister Ruth Masake at Katima Mulilo on Monday, Zaamwani stated that eliminating open defecation requires ensuring everyone has access to a basic toilet in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2.
The minister addressed participants at the first-ever National Sanitation Symposium, which also served as the official launch of the five-year National Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy for 2022-2027. The strategy sets clear targets for improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
The five-day symposium, which is taking place under the theme, ‘Bridging the gap: Advancing resilient, inclusive and sustainable sanitation solutions,’ aims to raise awareness and mobilise resources to meet household sanitation needs.
“As the SDGs are closely linked with one another, progress in other areas also depends on significant improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene, especially those related to education, health, nutrition, gender equality and inequality,” Zaamwani stated.
The minister further highlighted that while the country has progressed in the supply of potable water, sanitation efforts have lagged.
The Namibia Statistics Agency’s 2023 census report reveals that 40 percent of the nation’s 756 339 households practice open defecation, predominantly in rural areas and informal settlements.
Zaamwani urged participants to prioritise sanitation programmes and address major challenges. The ministry is mandated by the Water and Sanitation Sector Policy of 2008 to coordinate sanitation efforts, recognising its pivotal role in contributing to public health and national economic development.
The symposium was necessitated by the November 2023 AfricaSan7 conference, which culminated in the Swakopmund Declaration on Accelerated Actions for Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Sanitation and Hygiene Services Delivery in Africa. -Nampa