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Sanitation coverage reaches
54 percent: MoH |
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ADDIS
ABEBA(November 24, 2009) - Sanitation coverage of
Ethiopia has made progressive achievement reaching 54.8% in the current
year from11.5% in 2003, the Federal Ministry of Health (MoH) disclosed.
The country is working hard on sanitation to half the current population
without access to sanitation by 2015(E.C) as the Millennium Development
Goals (MDG) has it, said Tesfaye Zewde, MoH representative, at the
2nd National Sanitation and Hygiene Festival focusing on urban sanitation
celebrated recently, held at the Christian Relief and Development
Association (CRDA) hall in Addis Ababa.
In Ethiopia, it is estimated that about 35 million people do not have
access to sanitation services and over half a million children under
the age of five die every year from diarrhea. In other words, for
every five children born, one will die from diarrhea before they reach
their fifth birthday. Safe and adequate water supply, improved sanitation
and hygienic practices can save thousands of children's lives each
year, he added.
According to him, over 24,000 health extension workers, primarily
women, are working with households to promote sanitation through small
do-able actions like building and using a simple latrine and washing
hands with soap or ash at critical times. Beyond the health extension
workers, civil society organizations, private sectors, churches and
international organizations are all dedicating money and human resources
towards improving sanitation.
This year festival which focuses on urban sanitation is organized
with the objectives of appreciating the existing efforts and achievements
on urban sanitation, opening up discussion with concerned government
and non-government actors and also creating the opportunity for regional
groups to share experiences and enhance their commitment in the sector
in general and on urban sanitation in particular.
The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of
Water Resources jointly work to improve urban sanitation.
According to the representative from the Minster of Ministry of Water
Resources (MoWR) the Ministry had also developed an Urban Sanitation
Master plan and model designs. This is expected to help municipalities
to for implementation in their own context. The Ministry is also keen
in integrating urban water supply and sanitation in all the studies.
More than 50 small, medium and large towns have sanitation studies
that made along the water supply project.
The three days festival was organized by WASH Ethiopia Movement, and
around 250 participants from the Ministry of Water Resources, officials
from Ministries of Health, Education and Finance and Economic Development,
Federal Environmental Protection Authority, Water Resources, and Works
and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Authority, and other
invited guests attended the festival.
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