Clean water helps patients in rural, drought-stricken Malawi

Malawi | CERF | 2024

Malawi, Liwonde. "The arrival of clean, reliable water has been a blessing for us," says Dyman Saidi, chairperson of the water system here. "Before, we had to fetch water from the Masanje river, and the water wasn’t safe. Now, the health centre has constant access to clean water, which makes a real difference for people here.”

A solar-powered water system installed by UNICEF with funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has made safe water more accessible for women and children here – sorely needed in drought-stricken Malawi.

In March 2024, Malawi declared a State of Disaster in 23 of its 28 districts due to severe drought caused by El Niño. Because of poor crop harvests, some 4.2 million people faced high levels of food insecurity, a number expected to rise significantly in early 2025.

The crisis is worsened by poverty, limited access to basic services, and poor water and sanitation, increasing disease risks and harming health, especially for vulnerable groups. The UN allocated $4.6 million from CERF to provide urgent support to nearly 280,000 people for food, health, education, nutrition, water and sanitation.

Locating the new water point at the clinic also encourages people to get important health checks. Moses Mphatso, a health surveillance assistant at Chikuluma Health Post, has seen the impact on their work. "The new system has made it easier for us to provide proper care," Mphatso says. "In the past, we struggled with hygiene without clean water, but now we can disinfect equipment and maintain a clean environment for mothers, babies, and other patients."

As a young mother of two children, Emily explains, “Knowing that the health centre has clean water makes me feel more confident, especially when I need medical services." It also means the surrounding community also has easier access to clean water, which has saved a lot of time, especially for women. "I used to spend hours fetching water, but now I have more time for other tasks," says Emily.

Based on original content from UNICEF

More information on the CERF allocation.

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Published March 2025