 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| USAID Information:
External Links:
|
|
|
|
|
USAID Donates $16.7 Million to Pakistan for Safe Drinking Water
REVISED
February 20, 2007
Press Office: 202-712-4320
Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced recently the donation of $16.7 million to Pakistan to provide safe drinking water in 31 elected districts/agencies of Pakistan in all four provinces. The areas include NWFP, FATA, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, which were affected by an October 2005 earthquake.
The three-year Safe Drinking Water and Hygiene Promotion Project will provide technical assistance to promote hygiene and sanitation for Pakistan's citizens. The country has made substantial investments in hardware to improve the safety of drinking water.
For Pakistani children under five years old, the mortality rate is currently 101 per 1,000 children. Sixty percent of those deaths are due to diseases related to unsafe water and poor sanitation. Diarrheal diseases are estimated to kill over 200,000 children under age five each year.
In announcing the project's launch, USAID Acting Deputy Administrator James Kunder noted the health challenges faced by Pakistan and President Pervez Musharraf's efforts to ensure safe drinking water for the country's citizens.
"This is truly a remarkable opportunity for USAID Pakistan to achieve its goals of promoting equality, economic growth, and improved well-being of Pakistani families, and more specifically to accomplish our objective of improving health for vulnerable populations by increasing the use of proven interventions to prevent major infectious diseases," Kunder said.
Mr. Kunder also noted that the U.S. has committed more than $130 million to Pakistan for health programs alone including those relating to tuberculosis, polio, and HIV prevention and control programs.
Funding for the project, which is being implemented in conjunction with the Government of Pakistan's Clean Drinking Water Projects and Abt Associates, is part of $1.5 billion provided by the U.S. to Pakistan over five years to aid the country's economy, education, health, governance, and earthquake reconstruction.
For more information about USAID programs in Pakistan, please visit our website at:
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_near_east/countries/pakistan/
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
Back to Top ^
|
RSS Feed for Recent USAID Press Releases
