Lahore: A new report reveals significant disparities in sanitation and hygiene access across Punjab, with only 30% of households in Dera Ghazi Khan having improved sanitation facilities, compared to 100% in Gujrat. The provincial average stands at 82.8% for sanitation coverage and 87.8% for handwashing facilities, but these figures mask stark regional differences, particularly in rural and southern areas.

According to Gilani Research Foundation, the data from the Punjab Health and Population Survey (PHPS) 2024-25 Baseline Survey Report highlights a concentrated geographic deficit in southern Punjab, where districts like Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, and Muzaffargarh lag behind significantly. The survey, which covered 24,540 households across 36 districts, underscores the compounded challenges faced by rural households in these regions, with only 64.7% having access to improved sanitation.

Gujranwala leads the province with 99% of households having handwashing facilities, while Dera Ghazi Khan records the lowest at 62%. The report emphasizes that rural households in lagging districts face a dual disadvantage, with sanitation and hygiene coverage rates significantly lower than their urban counterparts. This gap is attributed to structural patterns rather than random distribution, mapping onto existing geographic inequalities in income and social protection.

The findings indicate that one in four rural households shares toilet facilities, and one in ten lacks on-premises sanitation access entirely. This situation exacerbates privacy and safety concerns, particularly for women and girls. The report also highlights that 8.6% of rural households rely on water alone for handwashing, lacking soap, which is critical for effective hygiene.

The PHPS data points to a compound deficit where poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene co-occur, impacting child health outcomes such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections. These challenges are most pronounced in lagging districts of southern Punjab, where infrastructure weaknesses and socioeconomic hardships intersect.