DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) — The government of Tanzania should scale up efforts aimed at improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools throughout the country, according to a report released Monday.
The School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SWASH) Assessment report was launched in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania, by the Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government David Silinde. The WASH assessment report, the first comprehensive, nationally representative survey of primary and secondary schools, has highlighted the challenges of water and sanitation facing schools and how to address them. “Without the political commitment and allocation of sufficient resources, WASH in schools is likely to remain externally subsidized,” said the report. It said so far, efforts to improve water supply, sanitation and hygiene in schools have been piecemeal and on a small scale. According to the report, for the government to reach targets on quality of education and retention of students in schools, especially girls, it is essential to scale up efforts to improve WASH services in schools across Tanzania.