The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party approved Rs 6.37 billion for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programme under Stunting Reduction Programme in 11 districts of Multan, Bahawalpur and D G Khan Civil Division here on Friday.
This programme has been launched for prevention, control, and eventual elimination of many neglected tropical diseases and mal-nutrition dependent heavily on the availability of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in south Punjab.
Experts say the global strategies for controlling and eliminating several NTDs, such as trachoma, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and Guinea worm, specifically need for improved water and sanitation. According to a UNISEF report in Pakistan, 44 percent of children are stunted. This is the third highest percentage of stunted children in the world and means that more than 9.6 million Pakistani children have experienced chronic nutrition deprivation in utero and/or during early childhood.
For the children who survive, stunting in infancy and early childhood causes lasting damage, including poor cognition and education performance, reduced lean body mass, lower productivity, reduced adult wages and pregnancy. The approval for release of funds was given wasa given in the PPDWP's 43rd meeting of current fiscal year 2017-18 presided over by Chairman P&D Muhammad by Jahanzeb Khan and concerned Provincial Secretaries and other senior representatives of the relevant Provincial Departments. It also approved four other schemes:
1. Construction of Flyover at Jhal Road Railway Crossing to Sahiwal City at the cost of Rs 580.913 million.
2. Rehabilitation/Carpeting of Phalia to Sial More Interchange up to Tahli Adda i/c Phalia Byepass length=49.51 km, M B Din at the cost of Rs 905.322 million.
3. Establishment of Sports Complex at Faisalabad City at the cost of Rs 500 million and
4. Establishment of Suspension Culture Plant for FMD Vaccine Production at Food and Mouth Disease Research Centre (F&MDRC), Lahore. (Part-I: Hiring of Consultant/Consultancy Firm/Consortium) at the cost of Rs 231 million.
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