Ninety seven percent of Maldivian population has access to safe drinking water: WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that 97 percent of the Maldivian population has access to proper sanitation including safe drinking water, and that Maldives is the country to have made most progress in this regard in South East Asia.

WHO Representative in Maldives Dr Akjemal Magtymova said while speaking at a ceremony held today to inaugurate a Training Workshop on Developing a Water Safety Plan, undertaken by WHO in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Energy, that the Maldives has made great progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Dr Akjemal Magtymova said that it is not enough simply to achieve the Millennium Goals, and noted that serious challenges are being faced due to the environmental problems caused by people’s actions.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Environment and Energy Dr Mariyam Shakeela said that due to climate change, fresh water has become scarce in island nations such as Maldives, and stressed the importance of supplying safe drinking water to households.

The workshop will be conducted from 14 to 18 April, and will be attended by relevant institutions in Maldives, members of the general public and a Burmese delegation. Information will be provided by experts of WHO.