Malawi: Poor Sanitation Escalates Maternal Deaths in Malawi

10 December 2025
Nyasa Times (Leeds)
By Frank Kauteka Tembo

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation has raised alarm over the deadly impact of poor Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) conditions in Malawi's healthcare facilities, revealing that 24% of maternal deaths are the direct result of infections linked to inadequate sanitation and unsafe water. The figure underscores a major setback in national efforts to reduce maternal mortality.

Speaking during the WASH Media Forum's Annual General Meeting in Dowa, Dr. Juliana Kanyengambeta Mubanga, Deputy Director of Reproductive Health, said the crisis demands stronger and sustained collaboration across sectors if Malawi is to protect mothers and newborns from preventable deaths.

"Let us commit together to building health facilities where water is safe, sanitation is dignified, hygiene is universal, and every woman and child receives care in an environment that protects life rather than endangers it," she said.

Her remarks highlight the urgent need for improved WASH infrastructure, particularly in maternity wards where women remain highly vulnerable to infections after delivery.

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Responding to the ministry's concerns, WaterAid Malawi's Head of Advocacy and Communication, Chandiwira Chisi, described the situation as deeply worrying. He revealed that almost a quarter of Malawi's healthcare facilities lack access to basic water supply, a deficiency that directly undermines efforts to improve maternal and newborn outcomes.

Chisi said WaterAid remains committed to helping government close WASH gaps and urged the media to play an active role in exposing sanitation challenges in communities and health facilities.

WASH Media Forum Chairperson, Meclina Chirwa, called on journalists to strengthen their watchdog role by raising public concern where sanitation failures threaten health service delivery. She emphasized that timely reporting can push authorities to act before lives are lost.

The WASH Media Forum, established in 2009, continues to champion advocacy and awareness on water, sanitation, and hygiene across the country through media engagement.

With maternal deaths still unacceptably high, stakeholders agree that improving WASH in health facilities is not optional--it is a lifesaving intervention Malawi must prioritize urgently.

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