LAHORE, Aug 8: A three-day workshop on “Food, Water and Family Health” organized by the Institute of Environmental Engineering and Research (IEER), UET, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, ministry of health, has recommended setting up of analytical laboratories to examine and develop standards for food and water.

The workshop attended by representatives of health, environment, city government and PCSIR also recommended collaboration between different institutions working on the same pattern to develop water quality standards.

They also stressed to utilize technical assistance from local experts.

The participants also called for the implementation of laws regarding the standards for food, water and family health.

They recommended public awareness through print and electronic media about the improved health education strategies for the communities.

They also called for the launching of a country-wide campaign to motivate mothers to breast-feed their infants.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony on Thursday, Punjab Health Services director-general Dr Sabiha Khurshid held the community itself responsible for the promotion of adulterated and substandard eatables.

She said low purchase power and illiteracy contributed to the promotion of substandard items in the market and substandard and unhygienic living.

Dr Sabiha said if Bangladesh could improve all development indicators why Pakistan could not do so.

She said donor agencies were also helping to improve family health particularly the health of children and women and literacy in the country.

WHO technical officer Dr Amir Elahi Johri said unsafe drinking water was contributing to a large number of diseases like cholera, hepatitis-A and typhoid.

He claimed that around 2.4 billion people lacked access to basic sanitation while 1.1 billion lacked access to even improved water supply sources in the world.

IEER director Prof Dr

Javed Anwar Aziz highlighted the environmental issues regarding food, water and health.

Later, Dr Sabiha distributed certificates among the workshop participants.