Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Programs
Zambia's WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) challenges stem from inadequate infrastructure, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, leading to high rates of waterborne diseases, malnutrition, and poor health, with significant disparities affecting women, girls, and people with disabilities; issues which include reliance on unsafe sources, and difficulties in ensuring access, especially in schools and the community at large.
Key issues include low basic water access (around 73% urban, much lower rural/poor), poor hygiene facilities (over 80% of poorest households lack basic hygiene), and persistent waterborne diseases, though there's a push towards better data and infrastructure, including new dams and water systems. Access to safe and clean water, dignified sanitation, and good hygiene is essential for health, education, and human dignity. In Zambia, gaps in WASH services continue to drive preventable diseases such as diarrhea and cholera, contributing to child stunting, and disrupt learning especially for girls and vulnerable communities.
Primrose Community Health Organization (PriCHO) strives to reduce water-borne diseases through inclusive, community-driven WASH programmes that strengthen access, improve hygiene practices, and promote sustainability. Our integrated approach combines safe and clean water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion, and menstrual health management, recognizing that each element reinforces the other.
PriCHO promotes the drilling, rehabilitation and mechanization of existing boreholes in schools in underserved communities. The package includes the installation of solar pumps and water tanks to provide clean, running water for drinking, handwashing, and sanitation in schools and the surrounding communities which contributes to reducing time spent fetching water. PriCHO also promotes hygiene education and menstrual health interventions in schools.
By 2030, PriCHO aims to expand WASH investments in schools, health facilities, and marginalized communities, with a focus on women, girls and children, to contribute to better health, learning outcomes, and community well-being complementing national development priorities.
Zambia's WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) challenges stem from inadequate infrastructure, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, leading to high rates of waterborne diseases, malnutrition, and poor health, with significant disparities affecting women, girls, and people with disabilities; issues which include reliance on unsafe sources, and difficulties in ensuring access, especially in schools and the community at large.
Key issues include low basic water access (around 73% urban, much lower rural/poor), poor hygiene facilities (over 80% of poorest households lack basic hygiene), and persistent waterborne diseases, though there's a push towards better data and infrastructure, including new dams and water systems. Access to safe and clean water, dignified sanitation, and good hygiene is essential for health, education, and human dignity. In Zambia, gaps in WASH services continue to drive preventable diseases such as diarrhea and cholera, contributing to child stunting, and disrupt learning especially for girls and vulnerable communities.
Primrose Community Health Organization (PriCHO) strives to reduce water-borne diseases through inclusive, community-driven WASH programmes that strengthen access, improve hygiene practices, and promote sustainability. Our integrated approach combines safe and clean water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion, and menstrual health management, recognizing that each element reinforces the other.
PriCHO promotes the drilling, rehabilitation and mechanization of existing boreholes in schools in underserved communities. The package includes the installation of solar pumps and water tanks to provide clean, running water for drinking, handwashing, and sanitation in schools and the surrounding communities which contributes to reducing time spent fetching water. PriCHO also promotes hygiene education and menstrual health interventions in schools.
By 2030, PriCHO aims to expand WASH investments in schools, health facilities, and marginalized communities, with a focus on women, girls and children, to contribute to better health, learning outcomes, and community well-being complementing national development priorities.
