Citrus International Trading Plc. has started distributing twenty million water disinfectant tablets in Ethiopia that are capable of disinfecting 400 million litres of water.
During a recent joint press conference with the Addis Ababa City Health Bureau and the Ministry of Health and, Company General Manager Minase Kifle said though there is a significant change in delivery of clean water both in urban and rural areas, there is still a huge gap which needs more private and public investment as well as a partnership of both.
Thus, he said, there is a big need of using the scarce resources of clean water for avoiding contamination and misuse.
Minase says the tablets have been in use in the European market over the last 30 years and they are easily available at affordable prices. “It is easily available and affordable with only 0.62 cents for a single tablet that can purify 20 litters. It is certified by the WHO.”
Ministry of Health Prevention and Promotion Case Team Leader Samuel Hailu on his part said besides to government interventions, such private intervention is very important and welcome in providing potable water.
The team leader added that the water cleaning tablets have been certified by the Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Control Authority and called upon the public to use and protect water contamination for drinking and food preparation.
The water disinfectant tablets in Ethiopia are meant to ensure residents get clean water.
According to statistics, a child dies every 20 seconds as a result of water related illness. Water related is one of the leading causes of death among children below the age of five years. A mother loses a newborn baby as a result of infections caused by lack of access to clean and safe water and unclean environment.
The sixth edition of the African Ministries Council on Water and Sanitation recently came to an end in Tanzania with a call for more efforts for Africa to achieve universal water accessibility by 2030
