The World Health Organisation (WHO) has donated water purifiers to Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) to enhance the board’s efforts to fight cholera.

Speaking when she presented the aquatabs water treatment tablets to the SRWB in Blantyre on Saturday, WHO emergency preparedness and readiness country lead Gertrude Chapotera said  the support is mostly meant to deal with sporadic cases in low-lying areas such Chikwawa and Thyolo.

“This donation is part of our universal health coverage package as we do our best to help prevent or minimise the spread of waterborne diseases,” she said.

Chapotera (C) makes a symbolic presentation to Makwangwala (2nd R) as Phiri (L), Yatich (2L) and Mandala look on

Chapotera, who was accompanied by WHO’s health emergencies officer Michael Phiri and incident manager Nellie Yatich, said due to the destruction caused by Cyclone Freddy in the Southern Region districts, many water sources were contaminated, thereby exposing the public to bad water.

“We believe we can make a great impact with these water treatment tablets,” she said.

On her part, SRWB public relations executive Rita Makwangwala, who received the donation alongside procurement manager Sean Mandala, said they were grateful to WHO for the assistance.

“This support will be of great help as we go through the recovery process after the cyclone hit the Southern Region hard,” she said.

The board supplies water in 12 Southern Region districts of Chikwawa, Nsanje, Thyolo, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Chiradzulu, Zomba, Phalombe, Balaka, Mangochi and Machinga.

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