Zambia, WHO Deepen Collaboration on Water, Sanitation and Disease Prevention
The Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation has reaffirmed Government’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) in advancing public health and resilient water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in Zambia.
This follows a courtesy call held today at the Ministry by WHO Country Representative, Clement Lugala Peter Lusaba, aimed at enhancing collaboration between the water and health sectors.
Speaking during the meeting, Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Collins Nzovu, expressed Government’s appreciation for WHO’s continued technical and strategic support, noting that the partnership has played a key role in strengthening health systems, improving public health preparedness, and promoting evidence-based policy formulation.
Hon. Nzovu reaffirmed Government’s commitment to sustaining close cooperation with WHO and other cooperating partners in support of national development and public health priorities.
He emphasised that access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene services remains a cornerstone of public health, particularly as climate change intensifies floods, droughts and disease outbreaks.
The Minister observed that recent public health emergencies have underscored the urgent need for stronger coordination across the water, health, environment, education and local government sectors to prevent and control waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid.
He further stressed that achieving national health objectives requires integrated planning, joint implementation and shared accountability across key sectors, including water and sanitation, health, environment, disaster management and local authorities.
In this regard, multisectoral coordination platforms were identified as critical for aligning policies, harmonising investments, and strengthening monitoring and accountability mechanisms to enhance national resilience and preparedness.
Hon. Nzovu reiterated Government’s commitment to strengthening governance frameworks that promote preventive health through improved WASH service delivery. Priority areas include the development of climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure, risk-informed planning and management, and strengthened regulatory and institutional coordination.
He also acknowledged WHO’s support in advancing governance reforms, standards development, disease surveillance, health risk management and joint monitoring systems linked to WASH, which are essential for tracking progress, anticipating climate-related risks, and informing policy and investment decisions.
The meeting further identified priority areas for enhanced collaboration between the water and health sectors, including improved coordination between WASH systems and health surveillance for early detection of climate-sensitive diseases; joint preparedness and response to public health emergencies such as cholera outbreaks; capacity building at national and sub-national levels on climate-informed WASH and health risk management; behaviour change communication and community engagement to improve hygiene practices; and technical support for the development and operationalisation of multisectoral, climate-responsive policies and frameworks.
The Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation reaffirmed its readiness to deepen its partnership with the World Health Organization in building resilient health systems anchored on safe and sustainable water and sanitation services, in line with Zambia’s national development goals and the commitment to achieving universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.
