By Durell Namasani
The Malawian government has launched a nationwide inter-ministerial implementation plan for Executive Order No. 2 of 2026 on sanitation and hygiene, a landmark directive aimed at strengthening public health standards across the country.
During the launch on Tuesday, Minister of Health and Sanitation, Madalitso Baloyi, said the Executive Order marks a decisive shift towards prevention-focused public health.
“We are moving from reacting to diseases to preventing them at source. Clean water and proper waste disposal are not luxuries—they are lifelines,” Baloyi said.
The Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development and Education are working with the Ministry of Health in implementing the Order. The former has already begun deploying waste management vehicles to councils and hospitals, while schools will integrate hygiene education into their curricula.
Rural communities will benefit from new sanitary facilities as part of the drive. With full compliance targeted by 2027, the government has called on traditional leaders and development partners to support the ambitious public health overhaul.
