COMMUNITY-LED TOTAL SANITATION TRAINING ENDS IN MAKIRA
Environmental Health National Director Tom Nanau. Photo: Courtesy of arsenic.ddo
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) has successfully completed a week long Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) training for local facilitators in Makira Ulawa Province.
The program aims to raise awareness on the importance of sanitation and trigger households to immediately build their own sanitation facilities and discourage defecating in the open.
Director of Environmental Health, Mr. Tom Nanau, highlighted, the CLTS program came about due to the new Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene policy endorsed by Cabinet in 2014.
He acknowledges the valuable support from the Australian Government and the European Union in getting the program up and running.
Meanwhile, Premier of Makira Ulawa province Honourable Stanley Siapu thanked the Ministry of Health and Medical Services for implementing the program in Makira.
He explains, talking about toilet or human faeces is a sensitive topic but people must make wise decisions when it comes to their health.
About 30 individuals including community members, staff from the provincial Environmental Health Department, Health Promotion Department, World Vision and United National Development Program UNDP were trained.