8 July 2013: The Ministry of Health of Malawi hosted the first stakeholders’ consultation on household water treatment and safe storage, in order to seek feedback on national policy issues and increase access to safe drinking water.

The workshop, which was held on 18 April 2013, in Lilongwe, brought together 25 participants, including representatives from private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia and government. The event facilitated discussion on the following strategic areas: enabling environment; public-private partnerships; inter-sector coordination; implementation; advocacy; integration; promotion; monitoring and evaluation; and research.

The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to review a new national action plan under development by the Government of Malawi, as well as offer feedback on areas of strategic importance and where immediate action is required. From the discussions, 16 recommendations for further action by Malawi’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Water Development and Irrigation, NGOs and private sector emerged. Stakeholders were invited to continue their dialogue with government officials on the continuing development of the plan.

The workshop was funded by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as part of a commitment made at a regional water policy meeting hosted by the Government of Mozambique, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF in June 2012. The regional meeting is an annual activity of the International Network on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage, a global alliance of stakeholders led by WHO and UNICEF that seeks to increase access to safe drinking-water worldwide. [Workshop Report] [IISD RS Sources]