Malawi: President Lazarus Chakwera delivered the state of the nation address on Friday, February 9. He reiterated that his government is committed to advancing the Free Water Connection initiative.
The initiative has successfully provided clean water to about 15,000 low-income households in Lilongwe. The initiative has been operational specifically in areas such as Nanjiri, Nalikule, Mpingu, and Dzenza.
He highlighted that the Malawian government has successfully rehabilitated 167km of distribution pipeline through the Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project.
Chakwera said that through the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project, the government is targeting about 20,000 beneficiaries. The list includes the people of Ntcheu, Neno, Blantyre, Machinga, Mangochi, Zomba, and Balaka.
The aim of the project is to ensure to have safe and clean water connections. Government has made safe water connections through the Potable Water Supply Project. The project serves the Lake Shore in Mangochi in areas of Mpondasi, Mtakataka Turn-off, and Sauya, targeting 93,000 beneficiaries.
The government has made water connections through the Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Nkhata-Bay, targeting 105,000 beneficiaries. For Karonga, the government has built a $26 million facility; they will soon be connected.
For Mzuzu, Ekwendeni, and Chintheche, the government has improved clean water access for over 400,000 people through the Ekwe Water Efficiency Project (MNWEP). For Blantyre, the government has commenced an overhaul of the current water supply system for Blantyre City to benefit 330,000 residents.
Lazarus Chakwera further said through the Malawi Water and Sanitation Project-1 (MWSP-1); the government is improving sanitation services to 150,000 people through the Dowa Water Supply and Sanitation Project.
In the Health Sector, the Government has recruited 3,930 temporary health workers, while 2,741 health workers are expected to be recruited in the next five weeks.
The President indicated that the National Cancer Centre at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), which already provides chemotherapy services, now has a radiotherapy facility to be completed in April 2024.
He also highlighted that his administration inaugurated the Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery (LION) at KCH and other health facilities such as the construction of Nancholi, Area 23, and Chilanga-Makina Health Centres, and the Infectious Disease Centre at Zomba Central Hospital, while construction of Mponela Community Hospital is at 80 per cent and construction of Domasi Community Hospital is near completion.
The government has also secured a new $517 million grant from the Global Fund to tackle HIV, TB, and Malaria.
The government efficiently managed to contain a cholera outbreak which ravaged the nation from February 2022 to July 2023. The outbreak left a death toll of 1,766 out of 58,938 cases.