Harare, 29 October 2013 -- Zimbabwe held joint commemorations for the global hand washing day and the national sanitation week in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe in Mashonaland East province. The joint commemorations were held at Uzumba primary school and brought together players in the WASH cluster, school children and some political leaders in a show of government commitment to improve sanitation. 

The theme for the joint commemorations was Zero open defaecation + hand washing with soap = diarrhoea-free communities. The holding of the commemoration in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe was very strategic because the districts of Uzumba Maramba and Pfungwe have some of the lowest sanitation coverage in Zimbabwe. According to the Provincial Medical Director of Mashonaland East Province, Dr Zizhou, the community sanitation and hygiene status of UMP is very low at 28%. Many households in UMP do not have toilets and use the bush for defaecation. 

All speakers on the day encouraged villagers to construct blair toilets and put an end to open defaecation in order to stop diarrhoeal diseases.

Speaking at the launch, The Honorable Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa encouraged villagers to construct blair toilets and desist from using the bush. He said the government does not construct blair toilets for villagers any more, so people should take the initiative and construct their own at their homesteads. He also urged them to emulate the Headman of Chichetu village whose blair toilet project is doing very well to improve the health and sanitation of his villagers. “I encourage other village headmen to emulate what is happening in Chichetu village, where the headman is taking the lead in constructing blair toilets; when we come back we want to see a blair toilet for every household,” said Dr Parirenyatwa. 

The UNICEF Representative, Mr Reza Hossaini spoke on behalf of the WASH cluster. He encouraged school children to take home the message of zero open defaecation and hand washing with soap or ash, and also echoed Dr Parirenyatwa in urging villagers to construct blair toilets. 

In a show of private sector support, some private sector partners held a public demonstration of the 10 steps of proper hand washing followed by a hand washing competition by school children.  

For more information contact: juliasw [at] who.int