Authorities of the WASH Sector on Tuesday, December 9, visited the House of Representative.
During the visit, the leadership of the sector requested for urgent legislative support of US$10 million to enable it carry out her expansion process.
The visit was part of effort by the sector to further expand its activities across the 73 electoral districts.
The head of the secretariat, Timothy Kpeh, underscored the importance of the WASH sector to health.
Kpeh recalled how it was upon this backdrop the WASH Legislative Caucus was established in 2016, to buttress the fight against water-borne diseases and other outbreaks.
He said, it from this collaboration that the WASH Commission of Liberia was established with the secretarial that is currently coordinating the da-to-day activities of the sector.
According to Mr. Kpeh, the sector is currently working to reduce poverty in rural environs by expanding access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
He added: With such interventions, there are challenges we encountered following recent assessments in Todee and other communities.
Mr. Kpeh said, through the secretarial, members of the sector have over the years worked, “but we need to do more; since current reality is that 21 percent of our population lack access to basic safe drinking water, while 36 percent lack basic sanitation resulting to waterborne diseases, which has resulted to the annual deaths of over 3700.
He quoted the Ministry of Health (MoH) and WHO reports, which according to Mr. Kpeh, is ‘troubling.’
He said, the World Bank investment analysis reported that Liberia needs US$201 million annually to achieve the sustainable development goal (SDG).
Kpeh informed the gathering that the WASH sector (97 percent) comes from donor funding, “and the withdrawal of USAID from the country, has impacted the sector negatively.”
“If we invest in the WASH sector, there will be lots of other opportunities. There is a document (WASH Compact Two), which has been developed. It is currently on the desk of the President.
What we need now is the support of the legislature, because if the document is endorsed, it will attract donor supports to the sector.”
Moreover, Kpeh said the WASH Commission has also developed another document called the “open defecation free road map” that also needs the support of the legislature.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers have promised to work with the sector to ensure that funding is provided to contain some of the challenges.