Addis Ababa, February 26 (WIC) - The Tigray State Health Bureau said over 73 percent of the population in Tigray uses pit latrines and lives in clean houses following the community based integrated health care system put in place over the past years.

Bureau Head, Dr. Gebre Ab Bernabas, told WIC that the number of people who had pit latrines and clean housing in the whole region was only 12 per cent some five years ago and that number has alarmingly increased and currently reached 73 percent on average in the rural areas. 

The people of Tigray were suffering from various diseases like diarrhea due to the lowest coverage of potable water, pit latrines and sanitation facilities in the past regimes, Dr. Gebre Ab said, adding that the dire health situation prevailed in the region for centuries has now altered altogether.

Dr. Gebre Ab said of the 971, 189 households in the rural Tigray, about 672, 451 households have pit latrines and clean houses.

According to the head, there are variations from village to village that in some woredas the number of households who have pit latrines is over 95 percent.

Tahtay Michew, Ahferom and Tahtay adiabo are the top three in which the number of population that has pit latrines and clean houses reached  100, 97 and 96 per cent respectively, according to the head.

In woredas like Wofla,  Enderta, Hintalo Wajirat and Laelay Michew the percentage reached 85, 89, 88 and 86 respectively, Dr. Gebre Ab said, adding that the percentage is over 50 per cent in most of the villages in the region.