UNICEF Zambia’s Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Emily Rand, has commended the country’s collaborative efforts in the development of the National Hand Hygiene for All Roadmap.
Ms. Rand said government’s leadership in championing the initiative and close collaborations with international partners such as the European Union and the German government are commendable.
She further thanked other stakeholders and individuals who have provided practical tools, which have enabled broader participation in the campaign.
Ms. Rand said this during the Global Handwashing Day and the launch of the Hand Hygiene Roadmap in Lusaka, held under the theme “Be a Hand Washing Hero.”
She noted that the lack of adequate infrastructure and the difficulty in achieving behavioural change are the two major challenges identified in the research.
Ms. Rand stated that despite water being a basic human right and its actual cost of production standing at K18 in some areas, residents pay only K8, a discrepancy which results in financial losses and strains service delivery.
She further disclosed that UNICEF and its partners are currently working across 90 districts in the country to improve access to water and sanitation services.
“There is a need for everyone to reflect personally on hygiene habits, particularly hand washing, and also foster collective commitment that will ensure real progress in the coming year,” she said.
World Bank Country Manager, Wedex Ilunga, said the launch of the Hand Hygiene Roadmap is a progressive step towards protecting public health.
Mr. Ilunga said the roadmap reflects a national commitment to lasting behaviour change and infrastructure development anchored on good hygiene practices.
He reiterated that the World Bank, a lead partner in the country’s water and sanitation sector, will continue to collaborate closely with the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation following the launch of the Hand Hygiene Roadmap.
Mr. Ilunga said while hand washing may appear as a simple act, it remains a powerful tool in disease prevention, adding that the launch is not just a campaign but a movement demanding collective action, innovation, and sustained commitment from all sectors of society.
“While we are celebrating this progress made so far, we still have some challenges because according to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO)-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, as at 2024, only 18 percent of the country’s population had access to basic hand washing facilities at home,” he said.
Mr. Ilunga said this means over 80 percent of the country’s population still lack access to basic hygiene, adding that this further underscores the urgency of achieving Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 which points at universal and equitable access to adequate sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030.
We’ll soon see how that ironically unfolds .Let’s never forget how cholera has been Zambia’s constant companion every few years coz we never learn.