1.5m Children Under Five Die Of Diarrhoea Every Year Around The World: Afridi.

ISLAMABAD, July 29, 2009 (Frontier Star) -- Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi has said that every year around the World, 1.5 million children under five die of diarrhoea resulting from inadequate and unsafe water, poor sanitation, and insufficient attention to hygiene behaviours. He expressed these views while addressing in a Brainstorming Workshop on National Behavioural Change Communication Strategy for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector organized by Ministry of Environment in collaboration with UNICEF and USAID at a local hotel here on Wednesday. The Minister said that according to estimate water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases cost Pakistans economy about Rs 112 billion per year, over Rs 300 million a day in terms of health cost and lost earnings. Out of this the cost associated with diarrheal diseases alone is estimated around 55-80 billon rupees per year. Poor sanitation and hygiene practices are also proving the barrier against tackling polio as the virus has been found to be transmitted through faeces of infected people then passed to others especially in situations of poor hygiene. He said that lack of adequate drinking water and sanitation facilities in schools is one of the contributing factors for low enrolment and high drop out of girls from schools. Recognizing the serious impacts of lack of sanitation, Afridi said that the Ministry of Environment prepared the National Sanitation Policy which provides broad guidelines and recommendations for improving the water and sanitation conditions in Pakistan. In addition, the Ministry has also finalized the National Drinking Water Policy which aims to improve the quality of life through ensuring provision of adequate and safe drinking water at an affordable cost and in an equitable, efficient and sustainable manner. The Minister hoped that todays workshop will focus on establishing a coordinated strategy which encompasses the different contexts and motivate people to change their behaviours through learning from the success and challenges. Ms. Janet Paz Castillo, Chief of Party, USAID said at the opening session of the Workshop that Pakistan has made important progress toward its repeated commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and the investments and commitments the country has made to water resources and sanitation are a significant part of that progress - particularly toward Goal 4 to reduce by 2/3 the mortality rate of children under the age of 5. The creation of water filtration centres, the establishment and support of a Council of Research in Water Resources, and the extensive network of community outreach through lady health workers and others are a few of the key strategies for reducing diarrheal disease and contributing to reaching MDG. She said that behaviour change is a process that requires a deep understanding of the barriers to change or the reasons for harmful behaviours - for an individual, a community or an institution. Carefully planned and targeted approaches are required to move people from being unaware to understanding, then approving of and adopting behaviours that benefit themselves and the people around them and to whom they are responsible. Based in social sciences and drawing upon the lessons of marketing - behaviour change communication can be very complex to implement, very demanding of its implementers yet very effective and impactful for the people that it reaches. She said that USAID is reaching nearly 30 million Pakistanis through the behaviour change communication strategy of the Pakistan Safe Drinking Water and Hygiene Promotion Project, we believe that we can - all of us - do this better with coordination and support of a broad network of partners. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Luc Chauvin, Officer-in-Charge, UNICEF Pakistan said that 80% all diseases are attributable to unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. The major diseases include diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis-A&E, trachoma, intestinal worms and others. Diarrhoea, which is a preventable and treatable water and sanitation related disease is the 2nd leading killer of children globally. He said that in Pakistan, diarrhoea is responsible for 11% of under-five deaths. She said that the water and sanitation related diseases could be considerably reduced by adopting simple positive behaviours such as handwashing with soap at critical times, proper handling and storage of water, use of latrine for defecation, food protection and improving domestic hygiene. Handwashing with soap before handling food and after defecation, for instance, could reduce the diarrhoeal related deaths among children by half and protect the health of many more. He informed that UNICEF has supported the Government of Pakistan in formulation of the National Drinking Water and Sanitation Policies, the Country Plan for International Year of Sanitation-2008 and provincial/ regional sanitation strategies with strong focus on improved hygiene practices. UNICEF is also supporting the Federal, Provincial, State and Areas Governments in the promotion of safe hygiene practices through behavioural change communication in communities and schools. He assured that UNICEF will continue to support the Ministry of Environment, Provincial Governments, line ministries and partners in promotion of safe hygiene practices through behavioural change communication and towards achievement of water and sanitation related Millennium Development Goals Musharraf, Malik, Babar Awan others put on notice in Benazir assassination case RAWALPINDI, July 29, 2009 (Frontier Star) -- Former protocol officer of PPP Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam advocate has filed an application in a local court of Rawalpindi seeking nomination of former president Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, interior minister Rehman A Malik, former chief minister Punjab Ch Pervez Elahi, interior secretary Kamal Shah, federal minister Babar Awan and others in Benazir Bhuttos assassination case. Additional District and Sessions Judge Rawalpindi Mian Khalil Naz has issued notices to those named in the application in connection with next hearing besides directing the police to provide all the relevant record of assassination case on August, 8. The notices have been issued to former president Pervez Musharraf, interior minister Rehman A Malik, former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, former caretaker interior minister, former Director General Intelligence Bureau (DGIB) Ejaz Shah, federal minister Babar Awan, former DCO Rawalpindi, Irfan Elahi, former CPO Rawalpindi Saud Aziz and SSP operation Yaseen Farooq. While filing application under 22-A, Chaudhry Aslam advocate took the plea former prime minister was assassinated in an attack on December 27, 2007 in public meeting at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi under a conspiracy and preconceived planning adding 17 other PPP workers were also killed in the incident.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)