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Aug 24, 2012: More than 1.3 million households and 700 schools will be reached through a 30bn/- four-year national sanitation campaign launched in Dar es Salaam.

The programme is aimed at reducing water-borne diseases, most caused by poor sanitation and will cover all 132 municipal councils in the country.

Experts say between 60 and 80 per cent of diseases that require hospital attendance in Tanzania are caused by water and sanitation related diseases. Four ministries yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly implement the four-year programme.

Dubbed the National Sanitation Campaign (NSC), the programme is to be implemented by Ministry of Water , Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and Prime Minister's Office - Regional Administration and Local Government.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Water, Eng Bashir Mrindoko, said the four ministries signed a Participation Agreement so that each of them commits itself to laid out responsibilities. He said the programme would start immediately in 2012/2013 financial year with the use of 7.125bn/- ($4.7m) for the first year.

He said that first year of the campaign would involve 42 districts in 12 regions. The regions are Dodoma, Iringa, Rukwa, Mtwara, Mara, Kigoma, Coast, Arusha, Manyara, Tanga, Kagera and Tabora. In the first year of implementation (2011/12), some 100,000 households are targeted to achieve improved sanitation. At the same period 88 schools are targeted to have a ratio of 40 girls and 50 boys per drop hole.

He said that each drop hole will cost $400 while another 100 USD will be used for supervision and monitoring, bringing the total cost of per drop hole to $500. Each toilet facility will have 20 drop holes.

He said the first year will cover 88 schools at the cost of $875,000, second year 175 schools for $1,750,000, third year 263 schools at the cost of $2,650,000 and fourth year 175 schools at $1,750,000. The Ministry of Water will co-ordinate the programme. (Source: Orton Kiishweko, AllAfrica.com)

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