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DAR ES SALAAM, June 3 -- THE Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children issued a health advisory on hand hygiene to prevent the spread of corona virus where the public is required to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash hands with soap and running water.
Amid the government, scientists and health care workers efforts to deal with the pandemic, a new challenge seems to emerge that could jeopardize all the effort-inadequate access to potable water. However, according to the Deputy Minister for Water, Jumaa Aweso the problem is artificial.
It has been created especially in areas with already existing tap water connections. He said in a budget speech of the ministry that 70.1 per cent of the population had access to clean water supply in rural areas and 84 per cent in urban areas as of March this year.
This is an increase from 79 per cent of urban population and 37 per cent of rural residents who had access to water in 2015. Mr Aweso accused water utilities for disconnecting their customers either for unpaid bills or recklessly.
He instructed the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) to ensure potable water supply to everyone, especially during the pandemic.
"We can have some form of arrangements that those with a chunk of unpaid debt must be reconnected after agreeing to pay in installments... We need to ensure people have access to clean water supply regardless," said the Deputy Minister.
Observers...