Kamanga highlights 8NDP achievements

LUSAKA – The Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation has reported substantial strides in its mandate, with Permanent Secretary Eng. Romas Kamanga highlighting notable achievements under the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). This positive assessment underscores the government's commitment to improving water and sanitation services, which are critical pillars for public health, economic growth, and human dignity across Zambia. The 8NDP, spanning 2022 to 2026, serves as Zambia's strategic blueprint for socio-economic transformation, aiming to elevate the country to a prosperous middle-income nation by 2030. Eng. Kamanga's remarks come amidst ongoing efforts to address long-standing challenges in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector. Zambia has historically grappled with inadequate access to safe water and sanitation, with figures in 2015 indicating that only 61% of the total population had access to at least basic water service and a mere 31% to basic sanitation. These deficiencies have contributed to frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid, particularly in densely populated urban and peri-urban areas. The Ministry's focus under the 8NDP is therefore not just on infrastructure development but also on strengthening institutional capacity, promoting behavioral change, and fostering partnerships to ensure sustainable service delivery. Key to these achievements is the alignment of the Ministry's initiatives with national aspirations such as Vision 2030 and international frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which calls for universal access to water and sanitation. The 8NDP explicitly places water and sanitation within its Human and Social Development strategic area, alongside education and health, recognizing their foundational role in human capacity building and poverty reduction. This integrated approach is further bolstered by programmes like the Zambia Water Investment Programme (ZIP), which seeks