More than 4.5 million of the 11.6 million population do not have access to safe drinking water, and five million do not have access to sanitation facilities.
The British Red Cross, in partnership with the Swedish and Zambia Red Cross, is working to improve health by providing access to safer water and improved sanitation for 90,000 of the poorest and most vulnerable people living in rural areas of Choma-Sinazongwe, Southern Province, Zambia.
This includes proving a safer water supply, building latrines and promoting health and hygiene. At the end of the project in 2010, the Zambia Red Cross aims to have repaired 250 existing hand-pumps and wells, and installed a further 120, which will provide 90,000 people with 20 litres of fresh clean safe water each day within a 30 minute round trip from their home.
The programme will also train 240 people to maintain the water points and train 160 Red Cross volunteers in hygiene promotion.
