KARACHI: Sindh Health and Population Welfare Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has stressed the need for prioritizing provision of safe drinking water to the people of the province to lessen the burden of waterborne diseases and malnutrition, for development of human capital.
She said this in her keynote address at a conference where the World Bank Human Capital Review for Pakistan was presented.
The conference was informed that though commonly human capital investment means initiatives in health and education sectors, it also includes provision of potable water, food and an enabling social and economic environment, allowing the population to rise to their true potential.
World Bank presentations at the conference highlighted the dire need to ensure that the girls and women are not deprived of education and are provided a stable nutrition to safeguard their future generations.
The conference expressed the resolve that despite being hit by the catastrophic consequences of climate change, investment in Pakistan’s human capital should not be ignored and this needs to be improved.
The minister highlighted the issue of malnutrition in the province and mentioned that clean water is not available predominantly in Sindh as the province is the last to receive river water, and much of it is contaminated beyond saving.
She said that by prioritising provision of safe and clean drinking water to the people of Sindh, the number of cases of waterborne diseases and malnutrition in the province could be brought down drastically.
She hoped the ‘1000 Days Project’, being launched in the province, in collaboration with the World Bank, will be providing public dispensaries across the province to deliver safe and hygienic maternal and child health services, including deliveries, ambulance service, nutrition counseling, supplements, vaccinations, mental health services, besides self-care, marriage and family planning counseling.
