Pakistan would formally launch the United Nation (UN)'s declaration of 2008 as International Year of Sanitation (IYS) by kicking off its activities on Tuesday. The UN General Assembly at its session had declared 2008 as IYS with the overall objective of accelerating progress on sanitation to help saving lives and foster economic and social development.
The Caretaker Minister for Environment, Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari would launch the IYS-2008 embarking on a comprehensive plan to accelerate the ongoing efforts for improving the sanitation situation in Pakistan.
The Plan envisages the finalisation and approval of the provincial sanitation strategies and action plans, dissemination of hygiene messages focusing on hand washing with soap, construction and use of latrine and use of safe water among 20 per cent of Pakistani population.
The plan also focuses on provision of improved sanitation facilities to people as 60 per cent of the country's population presently lack access to the improved sanitation and finalisation and approval of the National Drinking Water Supply Policy by the Cabinet and development of action plan for its implementation.
The targets, in the context of the IYS -2008, also include raising the profile of sanitation and to affirm government's commitment to this global issue and to mark commencement of activities.
Taking cognisance of fact that nearly 2.6 billion people have no access to basic sanitation services, 42,000 people die every week due to diseases related to poor water quality and inadequate sanitation and this inadequacy is contributing to the deaths of about 1.5 million children around the world every year.
In Pakistan, about 91 million people lack access to improved sanitation, 48 per cent of schools do not have a toilet facility and the total annual cost of diarrhoea related diseases alone is estimated between Rs 55 billion to 84 billion.
The Millennium Development Goal (MDG)-7, set by the UN, also includes the target of halving, the proportion of people without sustainable access to basic sanitation by 2015.
The Governments of South Asian Countries has reaffirmed this target by adopting a Islamabad Declaration at the 2nd South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN-II) organised by the Ministry of Environment in Pakistan in September 2006. Access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities is also an integral part of progress towards achieving the MDGs.
Sanitation is a good economic investment as every dollar spent on sanitation not only improves hygiene and protect environment, but also saves between $3 to $4 in health bill that may be spent on education, social and economic development. Led by Ministry of Environment, the national launch of the IYS-2008 will bring together other government and global partners including the UN, World Bank, international and national NGOs and the civil society organisations.