Abbott Provides Access to Safe Drinking Water in Government Schools in Baddi

• Access to safe drinking water is a challenge for people in certain regions of the country
• Abbott installed six water filtration systems across Government primary schools in the Baddi sub-district villages to provide access to clean drinking water supply
• This will give approximately 750 students access to safe, quality drinking water

Chandigarh, India, November 20, 2023: In line with Abbott’s work to improve health equity and overcome disparities in local communities, the global healthcare company is marking World Children’s Day by announcing its water stewardship initiative, aimed at providing access to clean drinking water supply for children from the Government schools in villages around Baddi.

India is one of the world’s most water-challenged nations and access to clean and safe drinking water can be difficult in rural areas, where 65% of the Indian population lives.^i,ii The state of Himachal Pradesh is overburdened with rising tourist influx and rapid increase in population that has led to declining water resources. It is estimated that around 37.7 million Indians are affected by waterborne diseases annually; of these, 1.5 million children are estimated to die of diarrhea alone and 73 million working days are lost due to waterborne disease each yearⁱⁱⁱ.

To help address this issue locally in Baddi, Abbott installed six water filtration systems across primary schools in villages located in the Solan district in the Baddi area. This will help approximately 750 students access safe drinkable water, focusing our support to help build healthier communities. The villages covered include Chanal Majra, Akkanwali, Raipur Jakholi, Manakpur, Lodhimajra, and Theda, which collectively have a rough population of 7,000.

Swati Dalal, General Manager, Abbott’s Primary Care business in India said, “Access to clean drinking water is a fundamental human need, yet there are challenges sourcing it in certain regions of the country. Safe drinkable water is vital, and with the installation of these filtration systems providing access to safe drinkable water, we hope to improve children’s overall health by lowering the likelihood of water-borne diseases for children in these schools. Sustainable water management is critical in building healthier communities today and for future generations.”

Abbott conducted a WASH (Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All) survey in the neighboring villages of Baddi. Lack of safe quality drinking water was one of the key issues identified through the survey. To address this issue, the company has extended support to Government schools by funding and installing domestic reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration systems to ensure that the children attending these schools have access to safe, quality drinking water.

Tek Chand, Central Head Teacher, Govt Center Primary School, Lodhimajra, Baddi added, “Providing safe water by installing water filtration systems will be extremely helpful to school children in these districts. This is essential to help avoid preventable water-borne diseases and support children from missing school due to ill health.”

Safeguarding the environment is a priority for Abbott and part of our 2030 sustainability plan. As part of our commitment, Abbott is focused on reducing its environmental footprint related to our manufacturing and supply chain activities. As a part of this, globally, Abbott is engaging with suppliers to evaluate climate, water, and waste risk management and laying groundwork for initiatives that help build a more resilient business in the long term. The water stewardship initiative in India is a part of our work to shape stronger communities for a healthier tomorrow.

About Abbott:

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

In India, Abbott was established in 1910, and is one of the country's oldest and most admired healthcare companies. With more than 12,000 employees in the country, Abbott is helping to meet the healthcare needs of consumers, patients, and doctors throughout urban and rural India.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com and www.abbott.in, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and www.facebook.com/AbbottIndia, and on Twitter @AbbottNews. 

Abbott Media:

Gayatri Mehendale: gayatri.mehendale@abbott.com

References:

ⁱ https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/clean-drinking-water

ⁱⁱ https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1894901

ⁱⁱⁱ https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13376-6#:~:text=In%20rural%20areas%2C%20the%20prevalence,by%20Mizoram%20(36.1%20per%20cent)