630,000 Moldovan citizens (17% percent of the population of the Republic of Moldova) do not enjoy access to improved water supply systems and around one million citizens (28% of the population) do not have access to improved sanitation systems. In order to remedy this situation, the Ministers of Health, Ms. Ruxanda Glavan, and of the Environment, Mr. Valeriu Munteanu, confirmed today that the Moldovan national authorities are strongly committed to implementing the strategic National Programme. The Programme aims at ensuring that by 2025 the population of Moldova, in particular the poor and vulnerable, benefits from improved access to safe water and sanitation, reduced water-related diseases and a protected environment.
The involvement of civil society in the implementation of the National Programme is key. Therefore, the great interest that the Programme attracted when it was presented to the Moldovan civil society on 26 September 2016 is extremely positive. Over 70 participants representing non-governmental organizations and different population groups, including youth, Roma and people living with disabilities, called for strong actions on water and health. Moldovan citizens found the National Programme to be comprehensive and to properly reflect their priorities and needs but also requested an immediate start of the implementation of measures foreseen in the action plan.
The official adoption and publication of the National Programme, comprising a detailed action plan to implement the targets set under the Protocol on Water and Health, is the product of the four-year project implemented by UNECE with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and carried out in close cooperation with the Ministries of Environment and Health of the Republic of Moldova. In addition to the development of measures to implement the targets set under the Protocol, the project supported development of a number of norms and codes of practices on small scale supplies, such as Ecosan toilets and constructed wetlands, facilitated targeted trainings to urban and rural water operators and raised awareness of the Moldovan population on the importance of water, health and hygiene issues.
Note to editors:
The Republic of Moldova is Party to the Protocol on Water and Health since 2005. The Protocol, jointly serviced by UNECE and WHO/Europe, is the first legal treaty designed to reduce water-related deaths and diseases through improved water management. Protocol Parties are required to set and implement national targets on water, sanitation and health as well as to regularly review and report on the achievement of progress to the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol. The fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol will take place in Geneva on 14-16 November 2016.