World Vision Zambia Calls for Greater Investment in WASH to Fight Child Malnutrition
Lusaka, Zambia – Wednesday, July 9, 2026: World Vision Zambia has called on the Government to increase investment in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) as a core strategy to tackle child malnutrition and strengthen child health outcomes.
World Vision Zambia Associate Director for Advocacy Gerald Kaputo stressed that access to safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene stands as both a fundamental human right and a determinant of child nutrition, growth and survival.
“Through the Enough Campaign, the organisation has found limited access to safe water and sanitation services among the leading drivers of child malnutrition in many communities across the country,” says Mr. Kaputo
Data from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for 2023–2024 point to wide gaps in WASH access nationwide. Thirteen per cent of health facilities lack water services, 21 per cent of schools lack basic water access, and 17 per cent lack adequate sanitation facilities. At the household level, 27 per cent of families lack basic water services, 63 percent lack basic sanitation, and 82 per cent lack basic hygiene facilities. Among the poorest households, 60 percent lack access to basic water services.
World Vision Zambia further noted that the 2026 national budget allocated approximately K2.6 billion to the WASH sector - around one percent of the K253.1 billion national budget. This falls well short of the five percent investment target set under the Eighth National Development Plan, leaving an estimated financing gap of more than K10 billion.
The organisation warned that inadequate WASH services expose children to diarrhoeal diseases, intestinal infections and environmental enteric dysfunction, each of which hinders nutrient absorption and drives stunting, wasting and undernutrition. Investment in safe water, sanitation and hygiene therefore stands among the most effective interventions for improving child nutrition and overall well-being.
World Vision Zambia urges Government and stakeholders to:
Increase funding for rural and peri-urban WASH infrastructure
Integrate WASH into nutrition and health programmes
Strengthen hygiene behaviour change initiatives
Improve coordination among relevant ministries
The organisation maintains that stronger investment in WASH will improve child health outcomes, raise school attendance, lift productivity, and build a healthier, more prosperous Zambia.
=ENDS=