New Delhi, Oct 2: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and commended the efforts of the government on the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission. He highlighted the significant strides made in achieving sustainable development goals through this transformative initiative, which mobilises communities to promote a cleaner and healthier nation. Affectionately introducing himself as "Tulsi Bhai", the WHO Director-General remarked, "I am honoured to help you celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, it shows how strong political commitment can drive transformative change toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
" He further added that 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 Tedros Adhanom stated, "It 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.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the Swachh Bharat initiative .