South Fly is the first district in Western Province to launch an official five-year Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) plan, aimed at improving health outcomes and living standards for locals.
Access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene has long been a challenge for many communities in South Fly. With support from the Papua New Guinea–Australia Partnership, and facilitated by World Vision, the South Fly District WASH Committee developed the South Fly district WASH plan.
Local MP, Sekie Agisa and Australian High Commissioner, Jon Philp launched the district WASH plan in Daru earlier this month.
The plan outlines the district’s WASH development priorities and provides a roadmap for improving equal access to safe, inclusive, convenient, sustainable and climate resilient WASH services for the South Fly people.
The South Fly District Development Authority, Western Provincial Health Authority and other members of the South Fly District WASH Committee will work together with development partners to implement this plan. The plan aligns with the National WASH Policy, Provincial Development Plan – New Way Forward and PNG’s Medium-Term Development Plan. The plan will strengthen service delivery coordination across the district.
“The plan is vital for the South Fly District and particularly for locations like Daru which is seeing significant growth in its population and needs improved urban water and sanitation infrastructure to keep up with the growth” Mr Agisa said.
High Commissioner Philp said: “Access to a quality water supply, sanitation and hygiene facilities supports healthier, more productive communities. The district administration should be proud, to launch this WASH plan which outlines strategies to respond to the ongoing water and sanitation challenges in the district.”
The Australian Government will continue to work with the District Administration, Provincial Health Authority and other development partners to improve water security in the South Fly District.
Australia and Papua New Guinea are currently partnering to deliver this initiative under the South Fly Resilience Plan, that will transition into the Western Province Partnership in early 2023.