Pakistan’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Canvas

Islamabad

Almost 50 per cent of Pakistan’s population lives below poverty line earning 2 dollars a day whereas 21 per cent is classified as extremely poor earning 1.25 dollars a day. They bear the brunt of WASH deprivation as only 13 per cent of the poorest have access to improved sanitation compared to 80 per cent among the richest.

Safe water remains a key challenge in Pakistan. A majority of Pakistanis use untreated water. Of the water available in the country, less than 20 per cent is safe for drinking.

Three million people suffer from waterborne diseases every year. Pakistan is among the five countries that have the highest rate of diarrheal deaths often attributable to poor sanitation. Up to 30 per cent of hospital admissions in the country are result of waterborne diseases.

The proportion of the budget for WASH as compared to other social sectors is dismally low at 0.2 per cent of the GDP. In addition to this, the allocated funds are not efficiently utilized or remain under spent.  Twenty-five million of people or 13 per cent of country’s population defecate in open and majority resides in rural area.