53,000 children die of diarrhoea in Pakistan every year

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Communication and Works Malik Tanveer Aslam Awan has said diarrhoea and pneumonia along with malnutrition are the leading causes of child deaths in Pakistan.

Every year 53,000 children die of diarrhoea in Pakistan. This is an alarming situation which demands us to shield these children from preventable childhood diseases and practicing improved hygiene behaviours, access to clean water and sanitation can help us to reduce these numbers. He said that as a developing country we are facing number of challenges, for which we all have to work together to resolve them.

He expressed these views while addressing a seminar, Plan International Pakistan in collaboration with HUD & PHED Punjab organised Global Hand Washing Day and Project completion ceremony of scaling up PATS in Punjab Project in Lahore Tuesday, according to a handout issued here.

The minister acknowledged the role of Plan International for its 20 years long efforts to develop coordination and synergies among the different department and sector partner responsible for the improvement of wash services. He said that Luckily, my District Chakwal was one of the target districts under the Scaling Up PATS in Punjab Project and I am myself a witness of the good work done by Plan and implementing departments i.e. PHED and Local Government.

The minister said it is appreciable to organise such an enthusiastic event of Global Hand Washing Day through collaborative of Plan International Pakistan in order to address a challenging issue. The Global Hand washing Day campaign motivates and mobilises people to improve their hand washing habits.

The key factor that influenced this commemoration was the increased child mortality rates that were related to respiratory and diarrhoea diseases. “Our Hands, Our Future” This year’s theme serves as a reminder that hand washing plays a crucial role in having a healthy and happy future. At the end of event, a memorial shield was given to the minister by Plan International organisation.