ISLAMABAD -Dettol Pakistan’s initiative ‘Hoga Saaf Pakistan’ has actively been working with the Ministry of Climate Change, and once again has joined forces itself with the Government of Pakistan and the Prime Minister’s initiative, ‘Clean Green Pakistan’ to achieve their targets primarily under three pillars; personal hygiene, sanitation, and solid waste management.
According to the latest stats, 53,000 Pakistani children under five lose their lives annually from diarrhea due to poor water and sanitation. The effects of climate change and rapid urbanization also contribute to challenges of improving access to safe water and sanitation. With that in mind, and the support of MOCC, Reckitt Pakistan is working on renewable energy, unveiling a filtration plant in Attock made sustainable by installing Solar Panels. The purpose of the installation is to ensure the provision of clean water for the people to help control water-borne diseases.
Alongside creating sustainable change through renewable energy to improve access to facilities regarding better hygiene and sanitation, Dettol Pakistan continues its efforts on increasing awareness by conducting Dettol handwashing activities in schools across the nation. This awareness campaign aims to stress the importance of handwashing while instilling the habit amongst all kids. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that washing hands with soap and water could reduce diarrheal disease-associated deaths by up to 50%. A large percentage of foodborne disease outbreaks are spread by contaminated hands. Appropriate hand washing practices can reduce the risk of foodborne illness and other infections
Mr. Kashan Hasan, CEO of Reckitt Pakistan stated “Every day, Reckitt’s brands are supporting people to lead cleaner, healthier lives through better health, hygiene, and nutrition. We put ‘purpose’ at the heart of the company and our brands. “Hoga Saaf Pakistan” is not just a movement but is our commitment to Pakistan through which we want to educate and instill responsibility amongst all Pakistanis to work towards a cleaner and healthier Pakistan. We believe access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment is a right for people across the nation.”
Also in attendance was Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam. During his stint as Special Assistant, Mr. Malik Amin has installed as many as 45 water filtration plants in different areas of Attock, Hazro, and Hassan Abdal at the cost of more than Rs. 60 million.
“An estimated 70 percent of households still drink bacterially contaminated water. Due to this, people in the area have been suffering from different water-borne diseases including Hepatitis and Diarrhea. These filtration plants will help control the spread of such deadly diseases by ensuring the provision of clean water for the people to control water-borne diseases,” stated Malik Amin Aslam while explaining the importance of the installation.