ISLAMABAD: Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Margaret Adamson Tuesday opened a facility in Bullay Bala area of Punjab that would provide the community with clean drinking water and improved sanitation services.
According to details, clean drinking water supply and waste water collection and treatment facility was funded by the Australian government and implemented by Plan International.
On the occasion, Adamson said that the Australian government was pleased to support development of the facility under the Australian Civil Society Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Fund. The project worked with Bullay Bala community and local government departments to promote improved water, sanitation and hygiene behaviour, while also improving access to sanitation.
The high commissioner said that, “Access to clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and better hygiene plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the health and economy of a community.”
Adamson also visited a girl’s high school in Roopwal where washrooms have been installed, alongside an interactive display that promoted improved water, sanitation and hygiene practices. She noted the strong link between water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition, and urged participants to work towards improving their lifestyles.
Adamson said that, “Supporting nutrition in Pakistan is a priority for the Australian government, and the initiatives will include supporting provincial governments to improve nutrition-related services.”
According to the World Health Organisation, 50 per cent cases of undernutrition were associated with infections caused by poor water, sanitation and hygiene practices.
It merits mention here that the WASH Fund supported 13 civil society organisations to deliver programmes in the Pacific, Asia and Africa. In Pakistan, the Australian government had also supported a similar project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by working with the International Rescue Committee.
