P&G launches safe drinking water drive

P&G has embarked on an awareness campaign to reduce water borne diseases in the country through its Children’s Safe Drinking Water programme.

The campaign, which marked the 2016 World Water Day, is in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population Services Kenya and kicked off with provision of P&G Purifier of Water sachets that can clean over 200,000 liters of water to the residents of Dandora as well as public education on sanitation.

P&G’s Communications Manager Ms Irene Mwathi-Miheso said having clean drinking water is taken for granted by many Kenyans, but is a daily challenge for many families who are faced with recurrent drought, poor management of water supply and the contamination of the available water.

“At P&G, we want to use our innovation to make social investments that improves the general livelihood of people. These small sachets are being used all around the world to make dirty, unsafe water clean enough to drink with simple tools – a bucket, a stick, a cloth and a tiny packet” said Ms Miheso.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that over 17.3 million Kenyans lack clean safe drinking water with more than 50 percent of all hospital visits attributed to the consumption of unsafe water and poor sanitation.

Ms Miheso added that P&G has invested more than Ksh500 million in the provision of clean safe drinking water and, together with their partners, delivered 750 million litres of clean drinking water since the programme started in 2005.

PS Kenya’s Child Survival Manager Ms Nancy Njoki said the issue of waterborne diseases can only be curbed through partnerships with both private and public sectors and such interventions are necessary and needed across the country. “We urge the public to maintain strict hand hygiene with frequent and rigorous washing, and safe food and water precautions to help curb water borne diseases,” said Ms Njoki.

[crp]