National Conference Discusses Policies and Strategies on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion

28 July 2011, Islamabad – The Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN), in partnership with the Planning Commission and UNICEF, launched today a two-day national conference, entitled the "National Conference on Provincial Policies and Strategies for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion." The chief guest at the event is Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Advisor to the Planning Commission. The conference is also being attended by Mr. Dan Rohrmann, the UNICEF Country Representative and Ms Shandana Khan, CEO RSPN.

It is estimated that water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases cost Pakistan’s economy about Rs. 112 billion per year. About 1100 children die daily in Pakistan due to poor sanitation and water born diseases. The purpose of the event is to share the main features of the drafted provincial policies and strategies on water, sanitation and hygiene and to arrive at a unified vision that will lead to a more effective and harmonised approach throughout the country. This national conference is expected to agree on a roadmap and a framework for action in each of the provinces to pursue more objectively the preparation of the relevant policies, strategies and action plans. Speaking during the conference, Mr Rohrmann affirmed the importance of the conference's objective: "You have in your hands something that can have a 9 percent positive impact on Pakistan's GDP. You have in your hands a unique opportunity to reduce substantial negative impact on the economy by raising the quality of water and sanitation."