Fiona Bruce MP calls on the UK to lead fight against water poverty
Fiona Bruce MP for Congleton met with Stephen O’Brien MP for Eddisbury, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, in the run up to World Toilet Day on the 19th November to call on the Government to increase its international aid commitment to help improve the provision of clean water in developing countries.
Fiona Bruce pressed Stephen O’Brien to ensure that the UK Government sends a Minister to the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) international meeting in April 2012 in Washington DC. SWA brings together representatives from countries around the world which provide and receive water aid.
Fiona Bruce said:
“The UK would be the first country providing water aid to send a Minister to an SWA meeting. I’m calling on our Government to send a Minister to show real international leadership on this critical issue and so help improve the co-ordination and targeting of resources for water, sanitation and hygiene improvements around the globe. Better co-ordination of existing resources could result in exponentially accelerated benefits in terms of lives saved and disease reduced.”
Fiona continued:
“4000 children die every day from preventable diseases related to poor water, sanitation and hygiene and the international community could do much more acting together to help prevent this.”
Stephen O’Brien fully accepted the importance of the issue and the positive impact water, sanitation and hygiene can have on fighting disease.
Stephen O’Brien said:
“The Government is fully committed to investment in the area of water and sanitation to help improve health and education of millions around the globe; this is essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.”
