Swachh Bharat Mission 10th Anniversary: WHO Chief Tedros Ghebreyesus Lauds PM Narendra Modi

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and acknowledged the government’s efforts on the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission. He emphasized the significant progress made in achieving sustainable development goals through this transformative initiative, which engages communities to promote a cleaner and healthier nation.

Affectionately introducing himself as “Tulsi Bhai,” the WHO Director-General expressed his honor in celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, highlighting how strong political commitment can drive transformative change toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). He noted that the Indian government has prioritized sanitation and hygiene as national priorities by mobilizing resources, engaging communities, and initiating a movement to eliminate open defecation and foster a cleaner, healthier nation.

All praise for Swachh Bharat Mission

Tedros commended the Swachh Bharat Mission for its emphasis on equity, local engagement, accountability, and sustainability. He pointed out that it prioritizes basic sanitation in rural and underserved areas, mobilizes local leaders, and uses data to monitor progress. He mentioned that initiatives like these provide significant public health benefits, improve sanitation, and save lives by greatly reducing the burden of diseases such as diarrhea and malnutrition.

He also recognized the contribution of the Swachh Bharat initiative to long-term well-being and socio-economic development in communities across India. The WHO chief commented on the Ayushman Bharat national health protection scheme, indicating that this initiative, alongside the health insurance scheme, reflects the commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of India’s vast population.

Tedros Ghebreyesus thanks India leadership

Concluding his remarks, the WHO chief thanked India for its leadership, expressing the hope that its achievements would inspire the world. The Swachh Bharat Mission, initiated in 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF). On the 155th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi paid tribute to the nation’s founding father. He shared on social media that he participated in Swachhata-related activities with young friends and encouraged everyone to engage in similar activities while continuing to strengthen the Swachh Bharat Mission.

This significant initiative successfully mobilized nationwide participation, marking it as the largest behavioral change movement globally. By 2019, the mission celebrated the construction of over 100 million individual household toilets, declaring more than six lakh villages ODF as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary.

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