WASH project

District Administrator, Benedict Mode said the establishment of the committee is part of the National WaSH policy that requires districts to have WaSH committees and is one of the priority of the government of the day to drive WaSH projects and programs.

The district WASH committee chaired by Mr Mode and comprises of the four LLG managers and sector heads, was established following a training conducted in March this year in Kokopo and attended by environmental health officers (EHOs) and himself.

The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project will be executed in two phases over four years, and will be implemented in close collaboration with District Development Authorities (DDAs) in the four districts.

The four districts are Nawaeb (Morobe Province), Central Bougainville (Autonomous Region of Bougainville), Goroka (EHP) and Hagen Central (WHP).

Announcing the four pilot districts today, UNICEF representative, Karen Allen, said poor sanitation, unsafe water and unhygienic practices are major causes of preventable illness and deaths, especially in children.