WaterAid Pakistan has launched a new seven-year initiative to improve safety, hygiene and infection prevention in public health facilities by integrating water, sanitation and hygiene into routine primary healthcare services. The SWISH project is designed to strengthen everyday care for patients and health workers across District Lodhran.
Funded in partnership with the Government of Canada, the SWISH project will be implemented in District Lodhran in collaboration with Indus Hospital & Health Network and local health authorities. The programme emphasises reinforcing existing systems rather than creating parallel services, embedding WASH into current healthcare operations and workflows.
Mian Muhammad Junaid, Country Director of WaterAid Pakistan, said ‘This project is about strengthening systems, not creating parallel services. By integrating water, sanitation and hygiene into everyday healthcare, we are helping create safer facilities, stronger services and better outcomes for families.’
Muhammad Sufyan, Head of Punjab & KP at WaterAid Pakistan, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to working with provincial authorities. He said ‘WaterAid will continue to create pathways and systems with the support of the Government of Punjab to make safer healthcare facilities accessible for all.’
The SWISH project will focus on practical measures to integrate WASH into primary healthcare, supporting local health teams and institutions to improve infection prevention and control. Working with Indus Hospital & Health Network and local counterparts, WaterAid aims to institutionalise WASH services so that safer facilities and better health outcomes become part of routine care in Lodhran.
