Ensuring safe drinking water in Cabo Delgado Province

Water-borne diseases from unsafe drinking water are a significant risk for people in fragile settings and especially dangerous in children under five-years old.

In low-income settings diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera and typhoid are the second leading cause of death in young children. (source: WHO)

Water purification using chlorination is one simple, cost-effective solution to ensure safe water in emergency settings where water is scarce and there aren’t systems for mass water disinfection.

In 2024, MENTOR supported local health authorities in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique to control a cholera outbreak through the mass distribution of soap and chlorine to health centres and communities.

Door to door activities promoting water treatment complemented this mass distribution and ensured safe water was available amongst displaced and host communities at risk of cholera.

Over eight months around 109,000 bottles of chlorine were distributed door-to-door and to health units with cholera treatment centres.

The project ensured access to safe water for nearly 465,500 people at an estimated average cost of 61 cents per person or $2.15 per household for around three months.

A mid-line survey of 304 people who used chlorine to treat drinking water found 82% reported no cases of diarrhoea in the household that week. Of those reporting diarrhoea almost half had below the recommended amounts of chlorine in their drinking water.

Strong community mobilisation activities were also carried out providing information about chlorination benefits for health and negating any misinformation around water disinfection.

After Cyclone Chido hit the region at the end of last year destroying homes and infrastructure, and severely disrupting healthcare services, the WASH team again distributed chlorine and promoted safe water storage door to door and in health units.

In these contexts, a rapid response and quick scale up of activities was vital to prevent water-borne diseases caused by unsafe drinking water.

The safe water and sanitation programme in communities is supported by UNICEF Moçambique and in schools as part of the consortium lead by Save the Children International, funded by European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).