15 July 2005, Ga Matlala-Moseta, Limpopo
Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, Ms Buyelwa Sonjica,
Premier of Limpopo, Mr Sello Moloto,
MEC's for Health and Local Government and Housing,
Executive Mayor of Capricorn and Mayor of Aganang Municipality,
Councillors and traditional leaders,
Ladies and gentlemen
We are gathered here in Ga Matlala-Moseta to officially open sanitation facilities as part of the Health and Hygiene Education Programme.
The Department of Health is not only about caring for the sick, or only about the hospitals, clinics, doctors and nurses.
Of utmost importance in our work the approach that prevention is better than cure. We therefore get involved in a number of initiatives to promote good health amongst our communities.
We have health professionals who go out to communities to advise our people about hygiene and address problems that may undermine their health. These health workers include Environmental Health Practitioners and Health Promoters who are at the core of what one may call our outreach programme.
Access to safe water and sanitation is critical in promoting good health.
According to the World Health Organization, 2,4 billion people do not have access to any type of improved sanitation facility in the world. About 2 million people die every year due to diarrhoeal diseases; most of them are children under the age of 5 years.
The most affected are the populations in developing countries, living in extreme conditions of poverty, normally peri-urban dwellers or rural inhabitants.
We know that more than 60% of the people of this province rely on ground water and they also do not have proper sanitation. These challenges are receiving increased attention.
But considering the huge backlog within the sector, there is still a need for greater mobilization of resources to address these challenges. The provision of sanitation is the developmental intervention - without it, ill health dominates and our people live a life without dignity.
Simply having access to sanitation increases health and well-being of the our people and restores their dignity. Here in Ga Matlala-Moseta people no longer have to suffer additional indignity by having to use inadequate toilets when visiting our health facilities.
Inadequate sanitation has an impact on individuals, households, communities and countries. Increasing the effectiveness of investments in sanitation need to be accelerated to meet the targets agreed upon during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has assisted us in Health sector to provide these adequate sanitation facilities. R40 million has been allocated to address the backlog in the provision of proper sanitation in clinics particularly in the rural areas.
Five provinces are benefiting from the programme and these are Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North-West. The target is to build 539 toilet blocks.
A total of 413 toilet blocks with 1817 seats have been completed already. This province has already received 74 toilet blocks, KZN has 99 and Mpumalanga 72. Construction of 75 toilet blocks in Eastern Cape and 93 blocks in North-West is nearing completion.
We call these adequate sanitation facilities because they are also equipped with hand washing facilities to ensure easy access and encourage hygiene practices.
When sanitation systems are inadequate, the impact on the health of communities is extremely serious as can be witnessed from diarrhoeal cases and also the cholera outbreaks.
These disease outbreaks are a result of unhygienic practices due to
Government is aware of the problems associated with inadequate sanitation facilities. Government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure that all South Africans have access to adequate sanitation, thus improving their dignity.
The publication of the Strategic Framework for Water Services is an important step in the process of meeting this responsibility and in addressing the problems of inadequate sanitation.
One of the water and sanitation sector goals of this Strategic Framework is that "All people living in South Africa are educated in healthy living practices, specifically with respect to the use of water and sanitation services"
The challenges of lack of sanitation facilities and inadequate water supply make it difficult for health workers to promote healthy living practices amongst our communities.
It is of no use to advise a community to wash hands after visiting a toilet meanwhile if that community does not have access to water supply, let alone the sanitation facility itself.
The provision of these sanitation facilities is a special project undertaken in the spirit of co-operative governance between the Department of Health and Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.
I am very pleased that today we are together celebrating this occasion together. This is a good demonstration that improving the health status of the nation is not only the function of the Department of Health. We all have to work together to ensure that we improve the social conditions of our people that often determine their health status.
Let me take this opportunity to thank the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry for assisting us in improving the lives of ordinary South Africans by funding the clinic sanitation projects in this Province.
The ball is now in your court as health care workers and the community to look after these facilities and maintain them accordingly. Be responsible and be promoters of health and hygiene in your communities. The Environmental Health Practitioners and Health Promoters will always be there to assist you in matters related to health and hygiene practices.
In conclusion, I would like to quote that the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan once said about these issues.
He said: "We shall not finally defeat AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, or any of the other infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation and basic health care".
I thank you.