Roadmap to attain WASH access in place Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga delivers his keynote address at the ongoing Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Sector Ministers Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday.

Mukudzei Chingwere in JAKARTA, Indonesia

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has pledged the Government’s commitment and laid the roadmap to attaining universal access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) to global peers as prescribed by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

VP Chiwenga made the commitment and elaborated on the key pillars to inform Zimbabwe’s journey in his address at the ongoing, WASH Sector Ministers Meeting.

The meeting is running under the theme “Building Forward Better for Recovery and Resilience” and was officially opened by Indonesia’s Vice President Ma’ruf Amin who addressed the meeting on behalf of the Republic’s president, Joko Widodo.

In his speech, Dr Chiwenga, who is also Minister of Health and Child Care, said Zimbabwe was prioritising the acceleration of WASH universal access in line with the country’s Vision 2030 of attaining an upper middle income economy as espoused by President Mnangagwa.

WASH universal access is also in sync with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 6.

Zimbabwe’s roadmap, said VP Chiwenga, is premised on four key pillars which are being developed and these are institutions and mutual accountability; planning, infrastructure and service delivery; monitoring, information and knowledge management and sustainable sector financing, policies and strategies.

“With a population of around 15 million, 63 percent have access to basic drinking water services, while 36 percent and 42 percent have access to basic sanitation and basic hygiene services, respectively,” said VP Chiwenga.

“In this context, Zimbabwe is committed to the global goals of ensuring universal access to WASH services by 2030. Our commitment is demonstrated by the alignment of the Government of Zimbabwe’s policies and programmes to the Sustainable Development Goals.”

With Zimbabwe having had one of the best responses to the Covid-19 pandemic which got international commendation, VP Chiwenga counselled the global audience that now more than ever, the world needs to polish up its WASH strategy lest it risks heavy losses from such other pandemics. Hygiene, partly attained through hand-sanitising and constant hand washing with soap and clean running water, became one of the key pillars with which the world responded and contained the Covid-19 pandemic.

To further buttress its universal WASH acceleration process, VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe was reviewing the Water Act all relevant legal frameworks so that they are aligned towards the attainment of the intended goal.

Indonesia VP Mr Ma’ruf Amin emphasised the need for peer review among countries for a more focused and elaborate strategy.

“Let us use the meeting as a platform to learn from each other,” said VP Amin.

Unicef executive director, Ms Catherine Russell, noted that there can never be sustainable development without Wash hence the need to start development from the base.

In an address delivered via video conference, World Health Organisation (WHO), Director General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said WASH was a foundational foot for any meaningful healthcare system.

“WASH services must be a priority particularly at health facilities,” said the WHO Director General.

He also said adequate WASH services play an important role in controlling diseases.

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