The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesuson today praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and commended the government for its significant strides in achieving sustainable development goals through transformative initiatives in the Swachh Bharat Mission. He said that the Swachh Bharat Mission has mobilised communities to promote a cleaner and healthier nation. He said the Indian government made sanitation and hygiene national priorities by mobilising resources, engaging communities and igniting a movement to eliminate open defecation and promote a cleaner, healthier nation.
Commending the Swachh Bharat Mission for its focus on equity, local engagement, accountability and sustainability, he said that the Indian government has prioritised basic sanitation in rural and underserved areas, mobilised local leaders and used data to track progress.” Initiatives like these deliver huge benefits for public health, improve sanitation, and save lives by significantly reducing the burden of diseases such as diarrhoea and malnutrition, he added.
