Malawi: Blantyre City Council (BCC) organized a sanitation awareness march on Friday in the city. The aim of the match was to educate the city residents about keeping their environment clean.
The management of waste and improved hygiene seeks to prevent diseases that are associated with the rainy season. The event was held under the theme: Sanitation for all: inspiring action, transforming Blantyre.
The march started from Njamba Freedom Park and concluded at the Zingwangwa Youth Centre. Mayor for BCC, Joseph Makwinja said the council organised the awareness campaign to remind city residents that as the rainy season approaches it comes with waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria and that they should be prepared.
“It is important that we prepare so that we do not have cases of cholera and other related diseases, as a council we just want to make sure that the public has been alerted in advance so that once the rainy season begins we should not have those problems,” he said.
Makwinja added that the council is planning to construct new public toilets in the community, The Mayor therefore encouraged all city residents to make sure that their environment is clean.
He also urged the people to work together with the city council to make Blantyre cholera free.
“Despite our ambitious efforts, the council can not do it alone we will need active participation of everyone, each one of us have a role to play; therefore, let us all stop the harmful practices like dumping waste in rivers to have a cleaner and healthier city,” he said.
Blantyre City Council Director of Health and Social Services, Samden Seunda expressed his agreement with the Mayor. He said that the responsibility of cleaning the environment is not of the city council alone.
He highlighted that in case waterborne diseases hit the city everyone will be affected.
“We need to have a clean environment always because unclean environment are breeding place for diseases and one of the diseases that has been disturbing us is cholera which can be prevented if we follow all the sanitation and hygiene practices,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a bid to stop the spread of malaria, the council will conduct an anti-mosquito campaign. The initiative will involve spraying the surfaces and river banks within the city.