•  In many rural areas, the poor rely on ponds and irrigation channels for household water supply, but these exposed sources are also used for waste disposal. Illness and the associated cost of medical treatment that low income groups have to face are major contributing factors o persistent poverty.

•  Savings and borrowings diverted to medical costs on account of serious illnesses leave many households either destitute or indebted.

Situation Analysis

•  A national survey by Gallup/BRB of the knowledge levels, attitudes towards and practices for sanitation and hygiene reveals that the majority of Pakistanis do not have a clear understanding of the relationship between unsafe excreta disposal and diarrhea.