By Ndumiso Tshuma
The Ministry of Health and Child Care claims it has drilled over 400 boreholes at health centres in rural areas which have been equipped with solar pumps and storage tanks as part of efforts to provide safe water and reduce the spread of cholera.
The boreholes, according to the health ministry, will lessen the burden on communities who embark on long treks for unsafe water and are affected by regular cholera outbreaks.
Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, said that the government’s thrust was to provide clean water sources as a means to fight cholera spread, with funds received from the Global Fund and managed to drill 447 boreholes by the end of 2023.
“On the water situation we as the ministry of health have had our funds from The Global Fund where we have been putting safe water at clinics in the rural areas throughout the country. By the end of last year we had drilled about 447 boreholes in the community at health centres and these will then be equipped with solar pumps and storage tanks for water. Tap water is then provided to the clinics.” said the minister.
Dr Mombeshora said although the ministry was trying to drill boreholes in all the provinces, they faced challenges in some parts of Matabeleland where the water table levels were low.
“Some areas in Matabeleland had challenges of getting water because the water table seemed to be very low. We were drilling 120 metres down to be able to get some water, which was a challenge because we had several dry holes,” he said.
The minister added in some areas the boreholes were drilled within a radius of 500 metres from the clinics where pumps were placed to pump the water.
This programme of drilling boreholes said Dr Mombeshora was part of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme implemented by the ministry.
“WASH aims to supply all rural areas in Zimbabwe with sustained access to safe and affordable water supply, sanitation services and hygiene education to reduce cholera,” he said.
“The WASH programme has mobilised rigs for drilling boreholes and they are drilling boreholes throughout the country.”
Meanwhile, the health minister said the government’s goal is to have over 35 000 boreholes by 2025 in each village.
“So far more than 3 000 have been drilled. The government is also procuring more rigs to drill boreholes so that the community will have clean water to drink,” said Mombeshora.
