Mbabane – Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla has launched the Month of the Child, calling on government, the private sector and communities to ensure every child in Eswatini has access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services.
This year’s theme, “Ensuring Universal Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Every Child in Eswatini,” was described as a call to action that speaks directly to the dignity, health and future of children in the kingdom.
Principal Secretary Sibonelo Nkambule represented the Deputy Prime Minister at the official launch held at the UN House on Thursday. 
The DPM said the absence of basic water, sanitation and hygiene services compromises children’s health, education and overall wellbeing, and that the Month of the Child was not only a celebration but also a rallying call to ensure every child enjoys these fundamental services regardless of where they live.
“Let us remember that behind every statistic is a child a daughter, a son, a sibling whose life can be transformed by access to something as fundamental as clean water and a safe toilet. When a child has access to a clean water source nearby, they do not spend hours walking to a distant river and arriving late at school. When a school has a safe and hygienic toilet, a girl does not have to stay home during her menstrual cycle. When a family practices proper hygiene, children do not lose precious years of growth to preventable waterborne diseases,” Dladla said.
She pointed to the Government of Eswatini’s commitment to improving water, sanitation and hygiene services for all citizens, especially children, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6, which calls for universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.
The DPM called upon all stakeholders including government ministries, the private sector, faith-based organisations and communities to unite in the effort, urging intensified inter-sectoral coordination, recognition of water and sanitation as a corporate social responsibility priority, and investment in community and school infrastructure.
Parents, caregivers and community leaders were encouraged to champion hygiene practices in homes, schools and communities, with the DPM noting that behaviour change begins at home.
The launch was attended by schoolchildren from selected schools across the country, along with partners including Parliament Portfolio Committees from both Houses, UN Eswatini, Unicef Eswatini, World Vision Eswatini, Cabrini Ministries, the Municipal Council of Manzini, the WASH Forum, SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, the Ministry of Tourism and many others.
