Saaf Bath Addresses Pakistan’s Looming Sanitation Crisis Amidst COVID-19

According to a recent study by UNICEF, 25 million people lack access to proper and clean toilets in a country of 200 million that is approximately 10% of the total population. With COVID-19 cases still on the rise, how is the problem being addressed to avoid the spread of diseases like typhoid, polio, diarrhea, jaundice, cholera, and now novel coronavirus?

We have all had those days, where we’ve had to frantically look for the nearest ‘clean restaurant’ to use a restroom. This is because despite living in rapidly developing urban centers, we have little to no access to safe and clean public bathrooms.

Hygiene and sanitation are a rising problem when it comes to Karachi, the largest metropolitan city, where there is a severe deficit of public toilets in the country. The lack of proper toilet facilities causes unfair disadvantages especially for women, children, and the differently-abled. Not only are the few existing washrooms unhygienic, but because of poor monitoring, are often unsafe as well. Yet, very little discourse has arisen around this very important issue.

Noticing this glaring – yet largely ignored – gap in the provision of a necessity, Harpic, the country’s leading toilet cleaner brand is on a mission to enable access to cleaner and safer toilets in Pakistan. On Harpic Mission Saaf and Safe Pakistan, Harpic has partnered with Salman Sufi Foundation and donated safe and clean public toilets to the people of Pakistan. This commendable initiative, known as Saaf Bath, has recently piloted in one of the most crowded cities of the country, Karachi.

Pakistan has time and again been highlighted by international bodies such as the World Bank, and the United Nations, for having some of the worst sanitation conditions in the world. In an attempt to rectify this, Karachi was selected as a pilot city for this project. The city has already seen the installation of two public bathrooms in Jheel Park and Lea Market.

After Karachi, the second set of toilets has been launched in Lahore – currently, the city of more than 11 million people, offering only 21 toilets, all of which are in deplorable conditions. Saaf Bath ultimately aims to provide this facility not only to the large urban areas, but also to the semi-urban and rural districts of the country.

While similar initiatives in the past have been promised, or attempted, by both government and private organizations, in most cases there has been no supervision and maintenance of these facilities. One of the key needs of the hour is not only the development of these restrooms, but an efficient system to ensure they stay hygienic and functional. What sets project Saaf Bath apart from others is identifying the need for the constant upkeep of these toilets and bathrooms.

All toilets installed under the project will be cleaned and disinfected after each use with Harpic toilet and bathroom cleaner by janitors trained under Harpic certified guidelines.

This project undoubtedly is an important step in paving the path for better sanitation in Pakistan. However, no effort for the betterment of the public can come to fruition without their awareness and active participation. Good bathroom practices are essential in ensuring that projects such as these meet their mark – it is important that we all take ownership of the public spaces provided for our benefit and make sure they remain clean and safe for use.