Minister for measures to improve public health

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan said that promoting better excreta disposal behaviours and hygiene habits are the most important measures to improve public health and reduce human sufferings and financial losses.
“Good hygiene and sanitation practices are closely linked and there is an increasing body of evidence that confirms that hygiene behaviour change is an essential part of achieving the health impacts associated with improved water supply and sanitation,” the minister said during his meeting with Mr. Girish Menon, Director of International Programmes and Deputy Chief Executive of WaterAid, a UK-based international charity organisation.
Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Arif Ahmed Khan, Director-General (Environment & Climate Change) Sajjad Ahmad Bhutta, WaterAid’s country head in Pakistan Siddiq Ahmad Khan and Urban Planner at the UN-Habitat Sarmad Khan also attended the meeting.
The minister said that he believes investments to improve sanitation and hygiene in developing countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal can yield substantial health gains, lower governments’ annual health spending and lead to economic benefits.
He said that though access to improved water sources has increased (91 per cent at present), unfortunately only 48 percent people (23 per cent of the total population) have access to improved sanitation facilities.
Mushahidullah Khan str-essed upon role of parliamentarians in upscaling water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes going on in the country and their ownership for making these programmes successful.