7-Year WASH Healthcare Project Pakistan Launched to Transform Safety and Infection Prevention in Punjab
WaterAid Pakistan launches a seven-year WASH healthcare project Pakistan in Lodhran with Canada’s support to improve hygiene, infection prevention, and quality of care in public hospitals.
WASH healthcare project Pakistan has taken a major leap forward as WaterAid Pakistan launched a transformative initiative aimed at integrating water, sanitation, and hygiene into routine healthcare services.
The newly introduced Strengthening Holistic and Inclusive Systems for Health (SWISH) project is designed to improve patient safety, infection prevention, and healthcare quality across public facilities — addressing one of Pakistan’s most persistent public health gaps.
Backed by the Government of Canada, the seven-year initiative signals growing international confidence in Pakistan’s healthcare resilience efforts.
Why WASH is Critical for Public Health Systems
Across Pakistan, thousands of healthcare facilities continue to operate without:
Reliable clean water
Proper sanitation systems
Handwashing stations
Safe waste management
This lack of basic infrastructure fuels:
- Hospital-acquired infections
- Maternal complications
- Neonatal deaths
- Unsafe working conditions for health staff
Global health studies consistently show that improving WASH access in healthcare settings can reduce infections by up to 50%.
Without water and hygiene, even modern medical care becomes risky.
The SWISH Project: Transforming Primary Healthcare
The SWISH project represents a shift from short-term fixes to long-term system strengthening.
Instead of building isolated facilities, the initiative:
Integrates WASH into everyday healthcare operations
Upgrades existing infrastructure
Trains healthcare workers
Embeds hygiene as routine practice
Core focus areas include:
- Handwashing promotion
- Safe medical waste disposal
- Cleaning and disinfection systems
- Sustainable maintenance planning
This systems-based approach ensures long-term impact rather than temporary improvements.
Focus Area: District Lodhran’s Health Facilities
The project will be implemented in District Lodhran, in collaboration with:
Indus Hospital & Health Network
and local health authorities.
Lodhran faces persistent healthcare infrastructure gaps, especially in rural facilities serving low-income communities.
By strengthening clinics and hospitals here, the project aims to create a scalable model for Punjab and beyond.
Strengthening Systems, Not Creating Parallel Services
A defining principle of the WASH healthcare project Pakistan is sustainability.
Rather than setting up separate service systems, SWISH:
Improves government-managed facilities
Enhances existing maintenance frameworks
Builds local technical capacity
Embeds hygiene in daily healthcare routines
This ensures that improvements continue long after donor funding ends — a crucial lesson from past development programs.
Protecting Mothers, Newborns, and Health Workers
Unsafe healthcare environments disproportionately impact:
Pregnant women
Newborn babies
Frontline health workers
Infection risks during childbirth remain one of Pakistan’s major maternal mortality drivers.
By improving WASH infrastructure, the project directly reduces:
- Post-delivery infections
- Neonatal sepsis
- Occupational exposure to disease
Safer facilities translate into higher survival rates and stronger community trust in public healthcare.
Inclusive Healthcare for Women and Persons with Disabilities
The SWISH project prioritizes inclusive design.
Facilities will feature:
Gender-sensitive sanitation
Accessible washrooms
Safe water points for all users
This ensures dignity, privacy, and usability for:
- Women and girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Elderly patients
Healthcare equity remains central to the project’s long-term impact goals.
Government Leadership and Policy Commitment
Senior officials reaffirmed strong government backing.
Dr. Khalid Mehmood from the Government of Punjab pledged to expand WASH services across all healthcare facilities in the province.
Meanwhile, parliamentary leaders stressed that hygiene access is:
A public health necessity
A human dignity issue
A foundation of quality care
Such political ownership is essential for scaling reforms province-wide.
National & International Development Partnerships
The launch brought together key institutions including:
- World Health Organization
- UNICEF
- Provincial departments and development agencies
This multi-sector coordination strengthens policy alignment and resource mobilization.
By embedding WASH into health planning, Pakistan moves closer to global healthcare resilience standards.
A Model for Scaling Healthcare Resilience Across Punjab
Beyond Lodhran, the project aims to inform:
Provincial healthcare policy
Hospital infrastructure standards
National WASH-health integration frameworks
If successful, SWISH could be replicated across Punjab and other provinces — significantly reducing infection-related healthcare burdens.
Experts view this as a critical step toward climate-resilient and pandemic-ready health systems.
Conclusion: Building Safer Healthcare for Pakistan’s Future
The launch of the WASH healthcare project Pakistan marks a transformative shift in public health strategy.
By embedding water, sanitation, and hygiene into everyday healthcare:
Infection risks decline
Patient safety improves
Health worker protection strengthens
System sustainability increases
With strong government leadership, international backing, and community-focused design, the SWISH project offers a powerful blueprint for strengthening Pakistan’s healthcare infrastructure in the face of climate stress and population growth.
Clean water and hygiene are no longer optional — they are foundational to saving lives.
