More than 5,000 residents, particularly women, will have direct access to safe, clean and climate-responsive healthcare.
Access to reliable, climate-resilient health and sanitation services has become critical for communities along Sindh’s coastal belt, where poverty, heatwaves and recurrent floods continue to endanger lives.
To address this, Sindh Community Foundation (SCF), with the support of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), has inaugurated a series of health and sanitation infrastructure facilities under ‘Restoration of Social Services and Climate Resilience’ in Garho and Bijoro Union Councils, Thatta District.
The facilities, which include eco-friendly waiting areas, solar energy systems, medical equipment for women’s health and 60 toilets in five villages, are concentrated around the Garho Basic Health Unit (BHU). These facilities will directly benefit more than 5,000 residents, particularly women, by improving access to safe, clean and climate-responsive healthcare.
In his speech at the inauguration, MNA Sadiq Memon said: “Climate resilient infrastructure is the need of the hour. As climate change and poverty devastate coastal lives, strengthening health systems, sanitation facilities and local infrastructure is crucial for a resilient and dignified future.”
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He called the newly developed facilities a model of effective collaboration between communities, civil society and development partners, noting that climate-smart infrastructure protects the health and dignity of vulnerable populations.
SCF chief executive Javed Hussain said the coastal region is facing the harsh realities of climate change, with frequent disasters and health crises becoming the norm. “With the support of PPAF, SCF has established climate-sensitive health and sanitation facilities, built to operate in extreme weather conditions. These low-carbon structures, powered by solar energy and made from eco-friendly local materials, ensure uninterrupted services,” he said.
He added that drainage ditches have been constructed around BHU Garho to address flooding and waterlogging, ensuring year-round accessibility. He stressed that public infrastructure should increasingly use local and natural materials to reduce carbon emissions and conserve biodiversity.
The ceremony was attended by Thatta District Deputy Health Officer Dr Rehana Yasmeen, Deputy Commissioner Ghora Bari Faraz Abbasi, Additional Director Social Welfare KB Bahrani, PPHI District Manager Rehman Gul and others. Rehman Gul praised SCF’s efforts and said solar systems and sanitation plans would improve hygiene and ensure continuous health care, especially during night deliveries.
