Seville: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has highlighted the ongoing public health crisis posed by waterborne diseases and the urgent need to accelerate progress towards universal Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) coverage by 2030. Addressing a side event organized during the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, Spain, PM Oli emphasized the necessity of collective action to transform clean water, safe sanitation, and hygiene from distant dreams into guaranteed rights.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the event was jointly organized by the Governments of Nepal and Burundi in collaboration with Sanitation and Water for All (SWA). PM Oli expressed Nepal’s commitment to ensuring WASH access for all citizens, as recognized in the country’s constitution. He highlighted Nepal’s progress, achieving 96 percent basic water supply coverage by 2024, while acknowledging ongoing challenges in delivering quality and sustainable WASH services.
PM Oli praised SWA’s advocacy for bringing WASH to the forefront of global policy discourse. He stressed that WASH is integral to life, health, and human dignity, playing a crucial role in preventing diseases, keeping children in school, empowering women and girls, and breaking the cycle of poverty and disease.
Announcing Nepal’s participation in the Heads of State Initiative (HoSI) on WASH, PM Oli affirmed the nation’s strong political will to make WASH a national success. He called on development partners to continue their support, emphasizing Nepal’s capability to build infrastructure and strengthen institutions with their help.
PM Oli highlighted the global challenge, noting that billions lack access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, with over 2 billion people without safe drinking water and 3.5 billion lacking safely managed sanitation. He warned of the rise in waterborne diseases and the continued threat of poor sanitation spreading deadly pathogens, which contribute to preventable illnesses like diarrhea.
Finally, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to SWA for its collaboration in organizing the event, reflecting the organization’s commitment to ensuring basic human rights.