His Excellency, Minister of Health, Dr Eksavang Vongvichit; Honourable government officials from the Ministries of Health, Education, Public Works and Transport; Distinguished guests and colleagues; Ladies and gentlemen:
It is an honour for me to speak before you, on behalf of the World Health Organization, and to welcome you to this Regional Workshop on Water Treatment, Safe Storage and Water Safety Plan in Lao PDR.
Safe and readily available water is important for health, as inappropriate design and construction or inadequate operation and maintenance of water treatment and storage facilities can compromise the quality of drinking water. The presence of infectious agents, toxic chemicals and radiological hazards has been linked to a significant proportion of waterborne and water-related illness.
WHO and 14 collaborating research institutions estimated that 842 000 diarrhoea deaths, in low- and middle-income countries; could be attributed to poor hygiene, water and sanitation issues.
Globally, more than 1 billion people still lack access to an improved water source. While countries work to provide universal access to safe, reliable, piped-in water, WHO and UNICEF have called for targeted, interim approaches that will accelerate the heath gains associated with safe drinking water.
It has been proven that improved water supply and sanitation and better management of water resources can boost a country’s economic growth and contribute greatly to poverty reduction.
Household water treatment and safe storage interventions have also led to dramatic improvements in drinking-water quality and reductions in diarrhoea disease, greatly impacting the lives of those who rely on water from polluted rivers, lakes and, in some cases, unsafe wells or piped water supplies.
A framework to proactively assess and manage risks to ensure the safety of drinking-water supplies from source to consumption is provided through the Water Safety Plan. Many government officials and stakeholders have been advocating for its implementation since 2004.
WHO would like to thank the Lao Government for bringing together representatives from national governments and stakeholders in this region, and facilitating multisectoral collaboration involving line ministries, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, academic organizations, donors and private sectors.
I wish you success in this regional workshop.
Thank you.