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STAFF REPORT ISB: Sanitation and hygiene situation in Pakistan remains at a crisis point as just 48 per cent of the population has access to improved sanitation and more than 40 million people continue to defecate in the open. Only 24 per cent households in the country have access to underground and covered drains, 42 per cent have access to open drains and 33 per cent live with no system.
These statistics were revealed during a recently held 2nd Pakistan Conference on Sanitation (PACOSAN-II) here in Islamabad.
President Mamnoon Hussain was the chief guest on the occasion.
Purpose of the two-day conference was to review the progress of sanitation and hygiene in the country in view of the past experiences for the formulation of roadmap towards 2025 to achieve sanitation targets.
“Pakistan is taking all possible measures to control polio virus and we are confident that the campaign will move smoothly after Operation Zarb-e-Azb,” he said while addressing the 2nd Pakistan Conference on Sanitation (PACOSAN-II).
Unicef Deputy Executive Director Geeta Rao Gupta said that poor sanitation is a matter of grave concern because of its direct link with dignity, health and economic wellbeing of general public.