THE number of households still using the bush as toilets have remained high in Matabelenand North and Masvingo provinces.
Staff Reporter
According to data from a Housing Characteristics and Living Conditions Survey that has been released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency(ZIMSTAT), 50.0 percent of households in Mat North province still practice open defecation while followed by Masvingo where 35 percent of the households are also using the bush to relieve themselves.
Mat South and Midlands province both had 31.5% followed by Mashonaland West which had 23.6 percent, Mashonaland Central 18.4 percent, Manicaland 15.4 percent Mashonaland East 14.2 percent, Bulawayo 1.2 percent and Harare 0.4 percent.
The survey indicated that most of the households (38. 2 percent) used the flush toilet system while on one hand, a significant 19.8 percent of the households did not use any toilet facility, while on the other hand, 15.6 percent used the Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines.
About 30 percent of the households accessed piped water into dwelling, yard or plot for drinking. Over 24 percent of the households accessed drinking water from protected dug well/spring and 4.5percent of the households accessed drinking water from a public tap.
